Politics is the art of compromise, and I am most grateful to the enlightened MPs who did the hard work on the voluntary assisted dying bill. However, the compromises needed to get it through the upper house were very disappointing. Prolonging terminal agony for yet another six months is excessively cruel and unwarranted. My late wife took matters into her own hands (illegally) when the pain became too much. This meant a few weeks of agony after her diagnosis was "terminal and incurable", but before her life expectancy had been given a duration – which 10years ago would have been guess work, at best. Now that a compromise bill has got through the upper house, hopefully in the next Parliament we will see a real dying with dignity bill passed to alleviate more unnecessarysuffering.
David Muir, Kensington
Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
Many of us could never contemplate 'self-murder'
How many daughters and sons of my age (77) have not sat by their parents' deathbeds (in my case some 109 days in the same room, but a blessed time)? Yet how many of us would have regarded it right for those parents to take their own lives? Why should the compassion of a few dozen people hugging themselves in Parliament be more significant than the compassion of those of us who could never contemplate "self-murder" (the phrase my father always used).
Are their fathers more to be taken notice of than mine? Is their grief so important that it must outweigh the professional opinion (not to mention the most sacred oath taken by all doctors) of the nation's top medical associations? This is self-serving legislation and will certainly be seen as an historic failure of compassion in the longrun.
Neville Clark, North Melbourne
Terrible dilemma for some of the terminally ill
Like many Victorians, I applaud the introduction of this legislation. However, I am concerned how assisted dying will relate to terminally ill older people whose access to care and support services is controlled by the Commonwealth government. Waiting lists for an assessment for support to live at home are longer than four months in Melbourne, and it frequently takes more than 12months before funding is allocated. Will the lack of funding for Commonwealth home-care packages give a new option to terminally ill Victorians aged over 65 – move into a nursing home or seek assistance to die? A palliative diagnosis of six months – or an 18-month wait before you can get help with personal care, cleaning and transport to medical appointments? Maybe we need to pay more tax, not less, to sustain the society that we seem to want.
Cathy Healion, Seaford
A declaration of war on the medical profession
It is appalling that Victorians will have access to euthanasia but one in four is denied access to end-of-life palliative care, especially in rural areas. One hundred and one cancer specialists and 100 palliative medicine specialists expressed dismay that no action has been taken on the many recommendations of the parliamentary inquiry relating to improved palliative care. The prestigious World Medical Association has condemned euthanasia and advised doctors not to participate, even if it is legalised. By legalising euthanasia, the Victorian government is declaring war on the medical profession.
Dr John Hayes, Wheelers Hill
Calling on doctors to put up their hands
Parliament has done us proud by progressing the voluntary assisted dying legislation thus far. Challenges for the medical progression lie ahead. Are there any doctors out there who will help? If so, you can now safely put up your hand.
Mitchell Chipman, medical oncologist, Richmond
What I need to know before the next election
After the lower house votes, could The Age please publish a list of how each MP voted? I want to avoid voting for a candidate who is unlikely to represent my views at the next election.
Michael Hipkins, Richmond
THE FORUM
Ending the suffering
How sweet it is that, before long, "death control" will lie within the authority of the dying patient whose suffering is unbearable. Bravo to Parliament. And how joyously welcome this is to healthy-minded religion that has worked hard to bring it about. Not so welcome is the mischievousness of not so healthy-minded religion in its promotion of the distortion that Christianity speaks with a single, condemning voice on this issue.
Liberal and humane Christianity takes the view that in a nasty end stage, which adds no value to living, we do not stoically have to carry on for as long as we can, but only for as long as we choose. All should be free to access the provisions of this bill. None should be required to. To such propositions, surely any friendly God concerned with the welfare of humans gives unqualified consent.
Kenneth Ralph, retired Uniting Church minister, Belmont
Risk of more mistakes
There are tears, but no relief, following the assisted dying vote. Many medical staff are under pressure, communication with patients and family is sometimes poor, and there is a shortage of social workers and liaison officers. Medical reports that hold daily observations are withheld from patients and family, so meetings are often held without the latter having a real knowledge of the situation. "Refusal of treatment" forms are not always completed.
Too often mistakes are made. The result is unwanted and unnecessary deaths. The medical system is failing. We should be very concerned that assisted dying is being introduced. It allows for more shocking mistakes in the treatment of the vulnerable, ill and aged.
Marg Rickards, Werribee
This time, Keating's wrong
I have long admired Paul Keating. His stance against the voluntary dying legislation, however, is misplaced and just wrong. Thankfully the courageous legislators in Victoria were able to ignore his Catholic-based objections and get the job done.
Neil Walker, Middle Park
Wrong to give – and accept
Is Gina Rinehart so contemptuous of our democracy that she could brazenly give Barnaby Joyce a $40,000 cheque at the National Agriculture Day event (The Age, 23/11)? And why did it take him several days to realise that no, he could not keep it? No, he could not donate the money to charity.
Any honourable person in his position would not have accepted it. Perhaps Ms Rinehart might redirect the cash award for a champion of the agricultural industry to any of the farmers who are protecting our arable land by closing the gate on fracking. Then again, when has Gina Rinehart ever had our national interests at heart?
Linda Wells, Footscray
Decades of prevarication
Construction of a rail link to Melbourne Airport will start in 10 years (The Age, 23/11), or so we hear for the umpteenth time. The project, considered urgent as far back as the 1960s, seems as far away as ever, the $30million study notwithstanding. Both major parties are complicit in the failure of their rail-link promises.
A frequent flier, I have lived in hope for decades, but, now in my 70s, I will almost certainly not live long enough to see the line operating. On the off-chance that I do, I will be too frail to fly.
It is now my fervent hope that my children might be able to travel from Melbourne to the airport by fast, direct rail. The prevarication of successive governments, and the opposition of airport management to a rail line (parking revenue being such a huge factor) are disgraceful. You know this project is desperately needed when even airport management now supports its construction.
Murray Hall, Dunolly
Cross-country destruction
Chinese companies may fund an Indian company to build a coal mine that will destroy valuable environment and put the Great Barrier Reef at greater risk of devastation (The Age, 23/11). The federal government has been AWOL for a long time. Cancelling parliamentary sitting for next week just makes that obvious.
Susan Pepper, Mooroolbark
Cleaning out the military
The celebrations being enjoyed by the people of Zimbabwe following the resignation of Robert Mugabe (World, 23/11) are understandable. However, unless the military leaders are kept under control, a repetition of his legacy could be replicated. Ideally, the old guard associated with Mr Mugabe should be culled.
While the West celebrates his demise, perhaps Western banks should provide details of the riches that he and his cohorts have stashed away.
Rob Park, Surrey Hills
Sweethearts for 54 years
Whirlwind romances have been going on for years, Kerri Sackville (Comment, 23/11). As a 21-year-old career airman, I was posted to Australia from the UK with the Royal Air Force during the atomic bomb trials. Many Aussie families took our small detachment for a family Christmas. I met my wife, Peg, on Christmas Day 1956 at her home. Within an hour we both knew we were destined to be together for life, with all that wonderful feeling of sun, moon and stars. I gave up my career, family and country, and purchased my discharge here. It was the best decision in both our lives; that feeling morphed into love and stood us in good stead for 54years until death took my beloved Peg.
Dennis Whelan, Balwyn
Put environment first
We are about to move to a recently built (2013) townhouse. Aesthetically, it is a very good design. For the environment, however, it is useless: single glazed; no external protection to west-facing windows; and no provision for solar. It will demand airconditioning in summer, whether we like it or not. When will our government force developers to do the right thing when building new homes?
Jillian Staton, Glen Iris
Confidence in the system
As head of the Australian Energy Market Operator, which is responsible for operating the power grid for the National Electricity Market (NEM), I was frustrated to read "Power plant failures push energy grid to the edge" (The Age, 23/11).
We pride ourselves on being open and transparent in all our communication. The trigger for the hysteria in the article appears to have been a standard Lack of Reserve notice issued to market participants in the industry. This is a mechanism by which AEMO communicates the short-term reduction in predetermined electricity reserve levels. At level 1, which this notice was, there is no impact to power system security, nor the potential for blackouts in parts of the state.
AEMO is working with federal and state governments and the energy industry so the NEM power system can be in a stronger position this summer and into the future. Our role includes communicating to industry to ensure they are fully aware of any actions they take in their daily operations. Attempting to unnecessarily alarm the public can lead to a loss of their trust when a day does come when they are actually required to act. Regaining consumer confidence in the reliable operations of the system this summer is crucial.
Audrey Zibelman, Australian Energy Market Operator
The true joy of giving
Helen Scheller's letter (23/11) about second-hand gifts brought back a memory from the 1980s. I was asked by the late Arthur Preston, former head of Wesley Central Mission, to deliver donated toys at Christmas to about 15 families of workers who were on strike. Not one family would take them as they were not good enough. Yes, they were simple toys, but they were were new, free and delivered to their front doors.
I took them back to Arthur who said a woman had phoned the mission, asking for toys. I knocked on her door at about 9pm on Christmas Eve. Indoors l found a very sad sight. She was so poor, she had put her kids' names on tins of beans and bottles of tomato sauce so they would have something for Christmas morning. A mother's love, surely. That particular Christmas, each child got about 10 presents. I felt really good myself that morning, too.
David Ward, Ormond
Our callous country
Recently I wrote to Malcolm Turnbull, Bill Shorten, Peter Dutton and my local MP, Tim Wilson, asking them to do what it takes to bring the refugees on Manus Island to Australia. All I received back were automatically generated replies. They have not acted and nothing has happened.
To whom do I write next? The International Court of Justice, asking it to charge the Australian government and its people with human rights offences? Or the United Nations, asking it to apply sanctions? We are on a slippery slope to losing our soul. We used to be so much better.
Christine Claffey-Ross, Hampton
Act to save the Rohingya
Surely the situation of the Rohingya refugees could be solved by a UN peacekeeping force going into Rakhine state, Myanmar, and providing an "umbrella" of safety to enable them to return home. This would be a better option than setting up permanent camps for them in Bangladesh.
Andrew Powell, Caulfield North
Why our wages are low
The Reserve Bank's minutes from its November board meeting reveal members "discussed the possibility that globalisation and technology were leading wage growth to be less responsive to changes in the demand for labour". Surely a high level of immigration puts downward pressure on wages, which is one of the reasons business loves it. The other being that an ever-expanding home market means they do not have to make the effort to sell abroad. Why workers should love immigration is never explained, and for a good reason.
Aidan Sudbury, East Malvern
Less talk, more action
Australia's male cricketers: lots of talk, very little walk.
Brian Morley, Donvale
AND ANOTHER THING
Assisted dying
Congratulations to the upper house for passing a bill supported by more than 80per cent of Victorians. And to Bernie Finn for coming out as an advocate for psychics.
Janine Truter, The Basin
The law's passed the upper house, 22 to 18. This is wonderful, but it's not exactly an overwhelming majority.
Jen Gladstones, Heidelberg
Tony Abbott et al: you do not have to access the assisted dying legislation. That's why it's called voluntary.
Georgie Cripps, Box Hill
Politics
Gina Rinehart cheque-mates Barnaby.
Chris Burgess, Port Melbourne
So Joyce joined the ranks of welfare recipients – $40,000 is twice a pensioner's yearly income.
Rod Andrew, Malmsbury
What a great time for Barnaby: a week off with full pay, named a "champion of farming", and a $40,000 prize. Who needs to be re-elected?
Peter Long, Frankston
Barnaby's choice? He sounds like a Rinehart cowboy.
Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen
Malcolm, you're a tricky devil. Who would have thought of tax cuts?
Marcel Hoog Antink, Portland
Nine MPs caught out. The Empire Strikes Back.
Erica Mehrtens, Northcote
Moray Byrne (22/11) is spot on about the progressive electorate. If only we had progressive leadership: eg the government's rejection of the Uluru Statement.
John Handley, Cheltenham
Would-be PM Morrison: if the results of the plebiscite had been the reverse, would you have championed the rights of the 40per cent minority?
Mirna Cicioni, Brunswick East
Would the last politician standing please turn off the lights.
Gary Bryfman, Brighton
Furthermore
What happened in Zimbabwe was not a coup de gras but a coup de Grace.
Kheng Yeoh, Balwyn
"Religious freedom" is a euphemism for the right to discriminate.
Allan Stewart, Point Lonsdale
Which businesses and environment groups back the so-called National Energy Guarantee? As sure as sunrise, it's not renewable energy advocates.
Rowan White, Fitzroy North