Campaigner for voluntary euthanasia Maryan Street says she believes public opinion has shifted in favour of a law change.

Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson

The president of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society, former Labour MP, Ms Street, said the health select committee inquiry had received more than 22,000 submissions on voluntary euthanasia.

She said that was more than the submissions on the Marriage Equality Bill.

Ms Street said it showed how ready New Zealand was to talk about a person's right to choose how and when they might die.

"The conversation has been happening for a long time. The only people not who are not engaging fully with the conversation has been members of Parliament. Because all around them people are engaging with the conversation and that's what 22,000 submission shouts out to them loudly."

She said many of those submissions were peoples' own stories, written for parliament to consider.