The End of Life Choice Bill is back in Parliament today with a chance that we eventually will be heading to a referendum. 

Like all aspects of this potential law, even that is contentious. Do we vote on the concept? Do we vote on the specifics of the bill? Do we even know the specifics of the bill? What about the turnout? What if it's low and doesn’t represent a majority?

This all comes about because New Zealand First, when it suits them, likes to send things out for a vote. It allows them to distance themselves from responsibility under the guise of giving the people “a say."

The reason this is so important is this bill, the work of David Seymour, unlike all other attempts at this tortuous and complicated matter, is closer than it ever has been to crossing the line.

In the first reading it got good support because many MPs wanted to see it off to select committee. That’s sort of like New Zealand First's approach on referenda, you'd be churlish not to support it at this stage.

The people get their say. Democracy is seen to be, in some sort of action. In this case they had 39-thousand submissions. A record, and once again an insight into just how vexed this whole thing is. Most of those submissions, of course, came from the deeply vested with entrenched views.

But the second reading came and went and although the support shrunk, it passed with a healthy number, so it's still very much alive.

And it might just be, that at last, in 2019, we have an enlightened enough Parliament to actually represent the will of the people.

Because there not a shadow of a doubt, that if this thing was put to the vote and the question was simply asked, should a person with a terminal illness and not wanting to carry on with palliative care have the right to end their life in a dignified way of their choosing, the majority of us would support that. There have been no shortage of polls over the years and they all, within a margin, have said the same thing.

And to Seymour's credit if he gets it across the line, it is a law for the ages. It is a piece of Parliamentary history. It is a contribution to the fabric of New Zealand society that will be permanently and profoundly changed. Not a lot of politicians can say that.

• Mike's Minute: David Seymour's euthanasia campaign deserves admiration

If you wanted to cheapen it ever so slightly it might well serve him well next in the election. If changing something as mammoth as a right to die law doesn't count in your favour, I don’t know why they are there.

So today is another big day in a series of big days. But if I was a betting man, referenda or not, my sense of this is this will eventually be the bill that became the law.