NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet, pictured, gave a moving speech in opposition to the euthanasia bill presently before parliament. However, he based his opposition on the thought that "it was fundamentally about the way we treat that precious thing called human life." It is a noble sentiment and one that should extend to those living below the poverty line, to the homeless, the unemployed and all those whose disadvantage should be the responsibility of his government.
Don Owers, Dudley
Why are we waiting for mercy?
AS the Assisted Dying Bill continues to be stalled yet again in parliament, I ask why the 8 million citizens of NSW are being denied this compassionate piece of legislation that the rest of Australians now have. Is it because NSW parliamentarians lack courage? If so, they should not be representing us.
Is it because their beliefs tell them not to vote yes? If so I remind them they are representing the majority of people - not a sanctimonious minority. 87 per cent of Australians are supporters of this cause.
Let's face it: if the legislation is passed, it's not compulsory is it? If you don't want that outcome, then don't use it. Please don't cite coercion and such. The safeguards in this bill are extensive, exhaustive and have been proven in many other places.
To assist your own decision I commend the website of Dying With Dignity NSW's page debunking the myths. The story of Scott Riddle, a 38-year-old husband and father of three should convince you that the bill is not just about geriatrics.
I also commend Independent MPs Alex Greenwich and our own Greg Piper for this common sense and responsible piece of legislation.
If necessary I will change my lifetime voting pattern to support the MPs who support us, the 8 million people of NSW.
Maureen Dearing, Newcastle West
COVID delays prove inconvenient
MY stepdaughter attends Heaton Public school. We are currently in lockdown with three children from two different local primary schools after testing positive to COVID. The handling of this entire situation for my family (and I can't be the only one) by NSW Health is unfathomable. A quick rundown.
On Wednesday November 10, first contact was made with my stepdaughter's mother at 7.55pm regarding positive cases with Heaton Public school. A day later they made contact again just after noon, informing us that contact tracing would be done and further details would follow.
By 5.17pm they told us my stepdaughter was a close contact, to be tested and we were notified that the last date of exposure was 5th November. That's five or six days after exposure that my household were notified.
Where all this blows out is that my two children have now tested positive due to being in the same household. My children attend a different primary school, New Lambton Public school, and that was subsequently closed due to my children being infected.
My whole issue is the time it's taking NSW Health to let people know. What infuriates me more is I was made to feel like I had broken the law by informing all my children's close contacts myself after seeing how slow health worked. Since then my GP, speech pathologist, son's occupational therapist and numerous family and community members have had to be tested and/or closed for cleaning. This is not right.
Allana Harris, Hamilton South
Don't let the tail wag the dog
KATE Rabbitt, (Short Takes, 13/11), I also question how the opinions of so few in an anonymous survey can gain so much attention while the signatures of more than 22 times that amount of people can be so overlooked, but it seems that the powers that be in Newcastle frequently favour smaller numbers over the large ones. Over the years, this sort of approach appears to have been adopted quite casually in this city, allowing very small handfuls of Novocastrians to supposedly gauge what the vast majority of Newcastle wants (factions with scarcely any members like the New West community group being a good example of this). When the lockout laws were introduced to Newcastle, they were spearheaded by a smattering of people, disregarding the objections of countless Novocastrians. In April, a protest meeting against Newcastle's current trial of liquor licensing laws was attended by less than 60 people. There was also a proposal to have live music be a regular feature at the former site of the former Newcastle Station, but it never got off the ground because of objections to the proposal by less than 20 people. I believe this says it all really.
Adz Carter, Newcastle
It's an art, spending public cash
IN reply to Keith Parson's Short Take (12/11), I find it pleasing he gets a chuckle from my wisdom and can still remember a letter from the past.
For the record, yes, I have been to the Newcastle Art Gallery, and yes, I have visited the National Gallery to see the renowned Van Gogh art collection. I appreciate artistic displays.
As previously stated, the National Gallery was divided into smaller rooms, providing four walls for this extensive exhibition to be displayed. If it was good enough for the National Gallery, I suggested it should be good enough for the Newcastle Gallery.
When referring to the money allocation being in scale to the attendance numbers, I was simply expressing the democratic way of distributing tax payers' money for what the majority would see as non-essential purpose.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Holes abound in holy honorifics
SOMETIMES journalists seem to have limited knowledge of Catholic custom or practice. The report on the death of Bishop Bill Wright, ("Cancer takes Bishop Bill Wright at age 69", Newcastle Herald, 15/11) refers to the diocese's Vicar General, Rev. Andrew Doohan, but later calls him Mr Doohan. A journalistic slip perhaps, but in an earlier balanced and informative article about a local priest's ethical objections to mandatory vaccination ("Priest a vax 'objector", Herald 6/11), Ian Kirkwood made reference to the priest "performing Mass". Priests celebrate, offer or say Mass, but they don't "perform" Mass, although occasionally one might be forgiven for thinking otherwise. I believe some journalists deliberately strip priests of any special recognition. For instance, during and after his trial, Cardinal Pell often became Mr Pell. In the case of so-called defrocked or laicised priests, this is understandable, but in Cardinal Pell's case in my opinion it was the deliberate cutting down of a tall poppy, and perhaps a bit of a poke in the eye at churches historically attached to, admittedly somewhat archaic, honorifics and titles. Of course, when a cleric's views are more aligned with a progressive media, this doesn't happen. Gosford's controversial Anglican priest, Father Rod Bower, is never Mr Bower.
Churches don't have a monopoly on titles and honorifics, and I think judges and politicians are certainly not all right and honourable. Better the style of Pope Gregory the Great, who adopted the title "Servant of the Servants of God" as a lesson in humility.
Peter Dolan, Lambton
SHORT TAKES
HOW dare Sydney use Newcastle to dump their toxic waste! First, we get COVID-19 transmitted to our region by self entitled Sydneysiders travelling here while under lockdown and now they want us to accept their rubbish. It should be stored in their own area at Lucas Heights or are the pollies down there too scared of upsetting the public with elections coming up. Don't forget, Novocastrians can vote too!
Susan Ayre, Maryland
TALK about hard done by; with talk being the operative word. The once proud Newcastle Maritime Museum has had no definitive action taken after all this time. A city grown from the Pacific Ocean and Hunter River and Newcastle can't have a maritime museum - crazy.
Susan Macleod, Clovelly
THE state government wants Newcastle to accept Sydney Harbour's toxic waste, but will not allow Newcastle Harbour to have a container terminal. Seems like a one-way street to me.
Robert Monteath, Newcastle
The ALP peeps out from hiding, reportedly promising it would commission the Treasury to model the cost of climate change to the economy if it wins the next election. What a promise. And what if they don't win? With the Nationals declaring they didn't sign anything at Glasgow, with the LNP turning it into a climate pariah, that's all they can come up with?
Niko Leka, Mayfield
THE Newcastle Herald article ("Vitnell wants Hunter subs", Herald 16/11) named defence projects built in the Hunter but forgot the very first, that being HMAS Torbruk launched in 1980 at Carrington Slipways yard in Tomago. Please do not forget the best little shipyard in the world at that time.
Greg Parrey, Rutherford
POLITICS presently has a stench about it. Any plan to freshen the air should have rules regarding nepotism and also ban ex-politicians from becoming lobbyists. One can see now the smell which lingers in the same corridors will not go away.
Michael Brennan, North Haven
PRIME Minister Scott Morrison seems to be channelling George Constanza at the moment. Not only do the two look to me like twins separated at birth, but he seems to have adopted George's motto: remember, it's not a lie if you believe it.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
JOHN Cooper, (Short Takes, 13/11), you did forget what the French did on Mururoa Atoll; 41 atmospheric nuclear tests from 1966 to 1974 which left the atoll polluted.
Bruce Brander, Belmont
THE Cadbury ad with the little girl has been around so long she may have kids of her own. New ads would be nice to see.
