WHILE I can understand the thinking behind the new euthanasia laws in NSW, I can also see at least two problems.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
First, who will be responsible for actually giving the terminal drugs. Not many medical personnel would like to do this on a regular basis.
Secondly, new advances in medicine are seen every day.
A good example is melanoma, with multiple spread of the tumour, is now (with new immunotherapy) more likely to be arrested and even cured.
Even new therapy for certain types of breast cancer can result in prolonging a pain free life, if not a cure.
HIV once had a five-year survival rate of less than 20 per cent. Now, many live well over 20 years of normal life on treatment. Hepatitis B and C are now treatable.
Tomorrow may see progress in many, now fatal, diseases.
A difficult decision.
John Hollingsworth, Hamilton
The high price of insurance
REGARDING home insurance, we know that there have been a lot of flood problems in Queensland and northern NSW, but surely the insurance companies have funds put away for these events.
My insurance has come up for renewal - 72 per cent increase - yes, 72 per cent.
I tried shopping around for the same insurance, it ranged from $9000 to $19,000 for standard home and content insurance.
Who can afford this? My insurance monthly has gone from around $250 a month to $399 a month, but to go with some of the others they want $1300 per month.
What do you do? Insure and not eat or eat and have no insurance? I'd hate to be on a pension with a house at this rate. Why hasn't this been brought up with this election?
Robert Baxter, Toronto
Neighbours making it tough
A YEAR ago we had our renovation DA approved by council.
One of our neighbours objected, it was not to their liking. Obviously, not enough to stop our extension. After setting us back by eight weeks (and thousands of dollars), our neighbours decided to install two floodlights pointed at our child's bedroom, installed CCTV pointed at our house and have ever since been a nuisance.
I sought council's help. They rang our neighbours and asked them to turn off lights at appropriate hours and point them away from our house. Nothing changed. They make sure to come out and make as much noise as possible when they see us close the blinds in our child's room. One evening the woman decided to bounce a basketball right next to the bedroom at bedtime for a good half hour. She too is a mother.
A year on we still cop the obnoxious lights, we still have to put up extra bits and pieces in our child's window to stop the light coming in. Other than going to the Supreme Court, we just have to put up with the harassment that goes on daily. There are no laws against CCTV in NSW. There are no laws against flood lights pointed at other people's houses. We keep to ourselves and get along with all our other neighbours. There are no laws to protect my family from the hellish behaviours that are allowed by law in this state.
Name and suburb withheld
Merging mindfulness needed
IAN King, ("Eye-opening trip on highway", Letters, 20/5), I both enjoyed and can identify with your account of the highway trip to the Gold Coast.
There is another major annoyance not highlighted and that is the multitude of drivers who are determined to push into a terminating lane knowing it will end. The crush created has the effect of creating stop start, one for one merging of traffic.
A more intelligent approach would be to merge as soon as possible thus maintaining continuity of traffic flow.
There is definitely a counterproductive "I" in society today.
Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta
Questions on housing plans
THE housing policy of both sides is open for debate.
Will ScoMo's plan push housing prices up? According to Albo it's a sure bet at Winx odds, but what is the difference in the Labor policy of gifting 40 per cent of the deposit on a home and having the Labor Party as a tenant in your home than the policy says that you pay back the government Uncle Albo when you sell the house.
Here is the conundrum: what if your house is included in your will bequeathed to your family? Will Albo challenge your dying wish, which is legal to get the government's money back? Will your wife or husband be forced to sell their security of a family home and what chance will they have of not affording another home?
The movie, The Castle, comes to mind. A home is a home, we all want to die in our home, not on a park bench because Albo wants his money back.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
Courageous leader required
LIKE Paul Sutcliffe, we can all agree that Australia has wasted over a decade of opportunity to effectively mitigate and adapt to climate change, ("Time for climate action after the lost decade", Herald, 17/5).
Yet, here we are, at the eve of another election with neither major party providing a pathway forward that sufficiently addresses the urgency, complexity, and enormity of the task. Arguably, this is the challenge of our time. Who will stand up, put a price on carbon, ramp up renewable energy production, capitalise on mining opportunities, plan for a just transition away from coal, and get on with the job?
There's a legacy waiting for the courageous leaders who finally take us there.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Professional management, please
I RECKON all taxpayer finance and subsidies given to profit generating enterprises such as solar and wind farms, hydro pump establishments and industrial storage batteries, should not be given free, but used to purchase shares.
This way money can be returned for other worthwhile purposes, taxpayer finance is not a charitable organisation, but a helping hand. I reckon too many wealthy organisations have been taking advantage on the pretence they are subscribing to Australia's economy, and too many politicians willing to subscribe, expecting nothing in return .
Surely governments realise that by giving financial help, on profit generating schemes, they should be in a position to expect a return on investment?
Maybe a governing political party should be run as a business, with leadership paid far more than politicians salaries, with bonuses and a share of profit returned to the taxpayer.
I believe this would draw more professional managers with a proven successful background in management, who would employ efficiency experts to obtain value for money.
Please note my message is not politically motivated, nor directed at either side of politics, just trying to make sense of a trillion-dollar industry that would be better managed with professional management.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
SHORT TAKES
RE: "Our lake's not a race track", (Letters, 18/5). I guess Julie hasn't heard about the air race that is going to be spectacular on our lake. And don't forget about those noisy fireworks? Maybe we can stop the sailing boats as well, upsetting the air flow.
David Smith, Belmont
THE Knights couldn't beat an egg. Deep fried again.
Bill Slicer, Tighes Hill
MAYBE the Knights should consider changing their name to the "Days". They appear to be very restless and tad sleepy!
Owen Keegan, Cooks Hill
MUSWELLBROOK is the third most polluted town in Australia. Wow! I noticed Barnaby Joyce has transferred his affections from Tamworth to Muswellbrook recently. He is his usual rambling self so did I miss him offering to the people of Muswellbrook, and more importantly their children and grandchildren, money and policy to improve Muswellbrook's unwanted position as the third most polluted town in Australia. Did he offer up ways to improve their air and water? Good health is always number one.
Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill
HOW do we take the vote seriously when we have the Cat in the Hat polling out the front of booths for the Animal Justice Party to bring on Ronald McDonald for the no pickle party?
Glen McIntosh, Belmont
NO matter how you search on Google as to what time polling booths open in your area all you get back in response is how to vote Labor. This is lower than shark dung. Labor is trying to manipulate voters by controlling your phone internet information engine, that's the tactic of a political party that is drowning and is begging for voters to take pity, "Monty Python, votes for the poor". Get off our phones and try to influence voters the old fashion way by being honest and face to face with realistic policies that might be beneficial to concerned voters. Stop trying to buy votes with manipulation.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
THE PM says the economy is strong so vote for him. Perhaps it is for some. The LNP declared in 2019 that keeping wages low is "a deliberate design feature of our economic architecture." Looks like we punters are paying for the 'strong economy' that big business and the wealthy top ten percent enjoy. Think about that before you vote.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
I ALSO received a letter from John Howard. This is the man who danced in tune to Mr Bush's war tom-toms and plunged Australia into the Iraq war, a war based on a lie. Tens and thousands of dead Iraqi citizens, and dead and injured Australian soldiers. For the record, I put the letter in the recycle bin.