ASSISTED DYING LAWS
Dear editor,
In coming months our 93 state MPs will vote on a proposed law to introduce voluntary assisted dying (VAD).
The state government asked the independent and expert Queensland Law Reform Commission to draft a VAD Bill, which has now been released and will soon be the subject of scrutiny and feedback by the parliamentary Health Committee before being debated by MPs in September.
The QLRC’s report and draft Bill mark a milestone in the long and hard battle to secure VAD laws for Queenslanders.
Many people involved with Dying With Dignity Queensland have waged this fight for more than 30 years.
Many of them could have benefited from a VAD law but have died long before seeing the latest positive developments in the law reform process.
As we continue to push for VAD laws we should remember them.
VAD laws have been passed in Victoria, Western Australia, and Tasmania, and already operate in many places overseas. But there is no guarantee the Queensland Bill will succeed.
So all Queenslanders wanting a better choice at the end of life must let their local MP know that they are expecting them to vote for VAD.
While MPs will have a conscience vote on the VAD Bill, they should remember that the Bill is not about them.
It is about giving terminally ill people or those dying from a neurological condition a voluntary choice to end their intolerable suffering.
Voluntary assisted dying will not result in a single extra death but it will mean a lot less suffering.
Jos Hall,
President
Dying With Dignity Queensland
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Interstate Crises
Dear editor,
Because of our interconnection with every other state, interstate tragedies or disruptions affect us all. Our food, infrastructure and resources are dependent upon sources and interactions all over Australia.
The Victorian fourth lockdown has created tension and alarm in Queensland, regarding tourism in particular. Disruptions with border closures and travel, affects every aspect of our lives, directly or indirectly.
The NSW mice plague, a direct result of inescapable drought conditions for farmers, is now impacting food availability and prices. While Queensland is relatively safe with food supplies and intra-state travel, interrupted supply from locked down states and regions impacts what we pay.
This is now affecting NSW dairy farms and produce as a result of the devastating mice plague damage. Rumour has it, milk, cheese and related dairy products will be in short supply. Powdered milk, a staple for the elderly, babies, large families and business, is suddenly almost 30% dearer in Queensland, statewide. Not logical, while other milk products and related goods haven’t risen in price here yet.
The big four supermarkets and oil giants control the cost of living with impunity, exploiting both farmers and customers. Milk is a staple, which should, like bread, be reasonably priced. A 30% rise is simply extortion and exploitative.
E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
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VACCINES
Dear editor,
In the chook pen, Top Cock and his gang of strutting Roosters had trouble organising a raffle because the Chickens had come home to roost but forgot to bring the expected Pfrizes so the Turkeys got the blame (again). Fair Dinkum.
Margaret Wilkie,
Peregian Beach.
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