Credit: Matt Golding
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ASSISTED DYING
Brave Cherryl Barassi, forced by our society to try to take her own life alone and winding up alive in a hospital bed (“Cherryl Barassi pleads for choice that was denied Ron”, 11/6). We need to do better than that. Most of the 80-year-olds that I know are frightened of ending their days in a nursing home, in a situation alien to the way that they have lived. In our society we are blessed, allowed to live with dignity and pride in a free country – until we are ready to die.
As he got old our beloved cat suffered from kidney failure and his back legs filled up with painful fluid. We took him to the vet and my wife held him while he had an injection. He died so peacefully that we didn’t know he was dead. He had a smile on his face. I said to the vet, “That is how I want to go.” Feeling loved.
We have the means. You don’t have to die in pain. Don’t mention palliative care. A friend of mine was dying in pain. The nurse said to me, “We can’t give him any more, it will kill him.” An unfunny joke.
Spencer Leighton, Torquay
Slippery slope
Cherryl Barassi’s views about the inadequacy of existing assisted dying laws in Australia are the slippery slope that some opponents of such laws were always concerned about.
Brendan O’Farrell, Brunswick
Laws need an update
As beautiful as Dan Andrews’ voluntary assisted death legislation was, the time has come for an update. Motor neurone disease and dementia should be included in the illnesses that qualify. The current limits placed on doctor-patient conversations about assistance to die ought also to be on the agenda. And what about the requirement that death must be deemed to be no further than six months away. The minimal age of the applicant seems also worthy of scrutiny and concerns are now being been raised about the formal request process. Finally, there is the issue of geography. Best not be living in remote Australia if you want help to hasten those last lingering months of your life.
Progressive Christians like me support both the review and the humane ethic that underlies requests for death hastening. As Catholic scholar Hans Kung indicated, God not only gave humans life but also “the utter right to self-determination”, including about the last phase of life.
Kenneth Ralph, Belmont
Dangers in a death-phobic culture
Royce Millar’s piece on Cherryl Barassi struck me for a few reasons. It felt disarmingly honest. Very brave. I have wrestled with this idea of choosing to die. I can speak from some experience with an ageing mother in care, and as someone nearly 70 years of age with a life-threatening cancer that has no cure. I am in constant pain although not completely debilitating. My concern with a carte blanche approach to VAD is the consequences of it in our death-phobic culture. It can scream individualism and that life is not meant for suffering. The Buddhists say life is one of suffering and we need to find ways of finding meaning and gratitude for the one life we have. If we take a more liberal approach to VAD, what are we teaching our children and grandchildren about life? I hope we can continue this conversation with openness and robustness. It’s too important to have it lie dormant.
Henry Blatman, Port Melbourne
No right to force views on others
Many of us strongly support Cherryl Barassi’s views and hope the archaic VAD laws will be amended before it’s our turn to battle against the system. No one has the right to force another to live when they do not wish to.
Julie Christensen, Blackburn
A peaceful end
Cherryl Barassi is a brave woman. Australians should have the right to die peacefully and with dignity at the time of their choosing. Without this right, people at times take matters into their own hands and kill themselves in ways that can be traumatic to themselves, to bystanders and to loved ones.
George Greenberg, Malvern
Squeeze every benefit
The issues that differentiate suicide, euthanasia and voluntary assisted dying are murky at best, malevolence aside. As a GP I have spent a lifetime dealing with the uncertainties of life and health and eventual death, and the final chapter often has some surprises. I am distrustful of those people who see things with great certainty. The definition of those eligible for VAD will be too restricted for some, and too permissive for others. Even the philosophical approach of a right to self determination will inevitably involve others family, friends, communities, and that might not lead to happy outcomes. For every deserving, easy to understand case there will be many where it doesn’t make sense. The ability to change your mind, perhaps through unexpected changes in health through treatment, is removed once the irrevocable state of death has arrived. Let us see what extra bit of benefit we can squeeze out of life before it is taken from us. Let us always work to relieve suffering and despair.
Clyde Ronan, Tallangatta
Making our own decisions
Thank you Cherryl Barassi. I agree with you about our need to have the right to choose our time to die and am sad it was not possible for you and Ron to carry out your agreed plans. As a healthy Australian in my 70s, a couple of things strike me as strange regarding the euthanasia laws. Firstly, my whole life has been about making my own decisions, this has been expected and often demanded yet I am not allowed to do this when it comes to choosing the time of my own death. Secondly, as Cherryl points out, the church appears to have a huge say in the legal decisions regarding our time of death. I am not a member of any church and wonder why I should have to abide by something the church may feel is important and yet is in conflict with my own beliefs.
There certainly needs to be protection for some people but I think many people will agree that there needs to be more discussion on this topic.
Sue Littleford, Clifton Springs
Lifeline 131 114, Beyond Blue 1300 224 636.
THE FORUM
Renovate and repair
Why is it that any building that is not deemed beautiful has to go? (“Residents oppose heritage listing for their ‘ugly duckling’ apartment block”, 11/6). It seems some think the only answer is to pull down anything people dislike. Just a few weeks ago architects came up with alternative ideas on how to fix up the housing commission flats, and reduce more waste. Even I can see how this humble block of “ugly duckling apartments” can be brought to life again. Rotting window frames are easily fixed and not a good reason to pull something down. It’s general maintenance and most of us experience this in our homes.
Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris
Jungle adventure
Our sympathies go out to the family of Michael Mosley. His tragic demise illustrates how easy it can be to get into a dangerous situation in unfamiliar locations and extreme heat. My wife and I nearly experienced a similar fate while on a holiday in Thailand. We were taking a leisurely afternoon walk on a well-worn track in the jungle from one beach to another in shorts and T-shirts when we took a wrong turn. We soon found ourselves on a savage ants’ nest, then having to push through thorny undergrowth on to a rocky, unpassable coastline with boulders and rough seas.
We clambered out on hands and knees up a steep slope over burnt jungle in fierce heat and would have had to spend the night in the jungle but for a fishing boat arriving a hundred metres off the rocks. We waved frantically and the fishers cheerfully waved back – until they realised we were in danger and so very skilfully plucked us off the rocks as the boat rose and fell several feet.
We sat in the bottom of the boat surrounded by the most exotic marine life we’d ever seen and half an hour later they dropped us at a beach where we waded ashore. Folks, please be careful out there!
Michael Slocum, Ascot Vale
Wide interests
With the decline of ABC TV news and radio into police rounds and local news, and your early publishing deadlines, I am pleased to see so many interesting, informative and newsworthy features in Tuesday’s print edition of The Age. The Cherryl Barassi story, toxic water issues, cow methane, Indonesian fishermen, Peter Costello’s fall and rise of the far right in France are just some of the longer than usual and welcome news stories, let alone the features and post-weekend sports analysis.
I’ve made time to read them all, as I’m sure many of your readers have done. Thanks for treating us like adults who have an attention span, and wide interest, to value this content.
Megan Stoyles, Aireys Inlet
Effective actions
Your correspondent claimed the wrong premier was appointed as a companion of the Order of Australia this year (Letters, 11/6), saying former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian was more deserving than Dan Andrews. Wasn’t it Berejiklian who apologised “unreservedly” after her government released COVID-19-infected passengers from the Ruby Princess cruise ship to all points of the compass within Australia, further endangering lives? Andrews and the WA premier protected their states from infection by locking them away. Their actions were very effective in controlling COVID-19.
John Cain, McCrae
Full consideration
Your correspondent who suggested that Gladys Berejiklian should have been appointed as a companion of the Order of Australia rather than Dan Andrews and Mark McGowan has overlooked one significant fact regarding her suitability for such an honour. In 2023 the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption found that she engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”, which must be taken into account.
Kevin Bailey, Croydon
Brave stance
It is probable that those like me with a serious lung condition survived the COVID era thanks to the measures taken by Dan Andrews and the national cabinet in which he was influential. If Australia had followed the “let things rip” path of the UK (or worse the US), our proportional death rate at the height of the pandemic could have approached 50,000 instead of about 1000.
Peter McCarthy, Mentone
Serious dangers
The AFL needs to introduce stricter guidelines following the Monday incident in which medical staff at Melbourne Football Club let Christian Petracca back on the field after an injury later discovered to be a broken rib, punctured lung and lacerated spleen. Coach Simon Goodwin’s comments that the “standard procedure” for rib fractures is pain relief and for players to return to the field indicates this procedure should be reviewed. Dustin Martin’s kidney injury a few years ago showed us how serious these cases can be, and delays in diagnosis could potentially have fatal consequences.
Venita Munir, Fitzroy North
Against this awful war
I, like many others, have been watching with horror and despair what has been happening in Gaza. I feel small, useless, inadequate and angry. Why are we not out in our tens of thousands telling our politicians that they must stop condoning genocide in Gaza? I hate that to be against what is happening in Gaza is seen by some as being antisemitic. I will write to politicians who support this awful one-sided war. I will speak out whenever I can. I will join the weekly protest in the city. I deplore the despicable Hamas terrorist attack on innocent Israelis that put a match to this tinder box. I understand the anger, but nothing justifies what is happening in Gaza – nothing.
Jan Barson, Cremorne
Energy options
I’m happy to have a “sensible, informed debate” with your correspondent about renewable energy and nuclear (Letters, 11/6) and we could start by agreeing that renewable energy can provide base load power through hydro, geothermal, wave, batteries and solar thermal. Solar thermal plants produce power 24 hours a day and exist in the US, Spain, China and Chile. Australia is ideal for such base load power generation. Perhaps we can also agree that nuclear power will take at least 15-20 years to develop in Australia, will double power prices and create enormous issues with waste transport and disposal.
Simon McInnes, Boolarra
Confronting methods
Perhaps there should be a trade-off following the resignation of Peter Costello and his “Shouldergate” affair. Yes, perhaps Costello went a tad too far in his contact but if one looks at the inane (and unproductive) technique of television reporters in shoving a microphone in people’s faces as they leave court or parliament we would all be better off.
Rob Park, Surrey Hills
Finding a bed a home
The federal government provides aged home care packages to support people to live at home. My mum, who passed away recently, was funded for a very helpful remote-controlled king single bed for her final years at a considerable cost of $4100. When Mum passed away, we wanted to pass the bed, in pristine condition, on to someone else who needed it. Her aged care provider had no scheme for passing it on. Community health centres were not able to accept it. Neither were Mum’s occupational therapist, the local hospital (for patients being discharged), Rotary groups, or numerous other charity organisations. I found Donate Direct which accepts such items, but the bed was not taken up due to a lack of storage space, the inability to clean a fabric bed-head and other reasons.
I gave it away on Facebook Marketplace. More than 80 people messaged me describing how much it would help them – as they were unable to afford, or have a package to pay for it. Someone in health needs planning needs to consider the reissue of these beds. My experience suggests there is need.
Anne Earley, Gisborne
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
King’s Birthday honours
Very disappointed by former premier Jeff Kennett’s comments on the King’s Birthday honours. Armchair politics from someone who was not in the hot seat at the time.
Chris Hodgens, Yokohama, Japan
After criticising the awarding of Daniel Andrews with an OA, I imagine Jeff Kennett will also be racing to Government House on Tuesday to hand back his award.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Jeff Kennett, for the record, I would have had your 2005 Companion of the Order of Australia Award rescinded after living through your time as premier and the resulting destruction of the school, health and other community services.
Jane Cheong, Aspendale Gardens
Daniel Andrews had the vision to lead Victoria through a modernisation of infrastructure after many years of neglect. A well-deserved award.
Raelene Spencer, Croydon
Congratulations to Daniel Andrews on his King’s Birthday honour. Like all other Victorians and future generations, we all feel indebted by you.
John Murray, Hawthorn East
Statue beheaded
It is disgraceful that the statue of George V has been beheaded. However, now that it’s gone, replace the lost head with a one of Charles III. They seem to wear the same clothes and this will bring the statue up to date.
Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale
Restoring a large bronze statue could be very expensive. I suggest we leave the George V statue as it is and rename it Charles I.
John Stapleton, Kingsville
Targets
Peter Dutton thinks scrapping our 2030 emissions target will help us reach our 2050 target. I like his thinking, and I’m drinking more this week so that I can become teetotal next week.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
Peter Dutton has the role ideally suited to his skills and experience – leader of the opposition.
Lionel Parrott, Croydon
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To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.