Letters to the Editor, 25th June 2017

They describe these laws as “conservative”, because they include 68 “safeguards” to prevent abuses.

All emotionally appealing but hardly based on reason.

Traditional Christian teaching is more rational:

“An act or omission which, of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate suffering constitutes a murder gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and to the respect due to the living God, his Creator….

“Discontinuing medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome can be legitimate; it is the refusal of “over-zealous” treatment.

“Here one does not will to cause death; one’s inability to impede it is merely accepted….

“The use of painkillers to alleviate the sufferings of the dying, even at the risk of shortening their days, can be morally in conformity with human dignity if death is not willed as either an end or a means, but only foreseen and tolerated as inevitable….”

(Catholic Catechism, paragraphs 2277-2279)

Caring for the dying and disabled can be expensive in terms of money, time, love and compassion.

But do we care enough to make the effort – refusing to resort to intentional killing?

Arnold Jago, Victoria

In the recent State budget, the NSW Liberal-National Government promised $100 million to create a regional arts fund, but on July 17, arts bureaucrats revealed that the fund is not what it is cracked up to be.

The fine print of the Regional Cultural Fund shows a mere $25 million will be now rationed across all of NSW’s rural and regional communities in 2017-18.

This is pitiful when the fund is compared to what is being spent in Sydney’s CBD.

A massive $600 million is being poured into a three kilometre radius of the city.

Sadly, like all other areas of government expenditure, the funding is all going to Sydney – with country areas left to fight each other over the scraps.

In the June budget, the NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro and NSW Arts Minister Don Harwin boasted that they were providing $100 million in funding for regional and rural art galleries, museums and community halls.

We now discover that this is just a cruel budget hoax.

But the most insulting aspect is that the fund cannot go to hire staff, urgent repairs, on-going maintenance or operational costs.

Furthermore, this fund is very unfair. How will small communities compete with the larger better resourced regional centres?

Unfortunately, too often the Nationals promise a lot and deliver so little.

While I do not oppose the funding for Sydney’s opera house, the art gallery or theatres, rural and regional areas just deserve to get their fair share – and the Nationals must explain why all of the funding goes to Sydney.

Hon Walt Secord, Shadow Minister for the Arts and Deputy Opposition leader in the NSW Legislative Council.

Living within multicultural Australia is an exciting feast upon all our senses.

It is easy to fall in love with our diversity of people, culture and food while enjoying the safe atmosphere our tolerance and acceptance of each other's differences contribute to the nation.  

In Australia, our way of life facilitates the ability of people to be able to commit to place, have families, work hard and grow our food.

It is easy to forget that it is our safety which has ensured we have an adequate food supply, rather than our investment and toil.

However, not everyone is lucky enough to enjoy a feast upon their senses.

In an environment characterised by constant conflict and violence, the people of the Eastern African countries South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia do not feel safe enough to maintain residence in the one location.  

Feeling unsafe and vulnerable has motivated the mass movement of people and resulted in a severe food shortage throughout East Africa.

Lack of stability has meant people do not stay in the one place long enough to ensure crops are harvested and replanted each year, resulting in a famine crisis.

The recent $303 million cut from Australia’s Foreign Aid Budget, coupled with a decision to focus Australia’s funding attention exclusively within the Asia Pacific region has cast a dark shadow over the 20 million people enduring a famine crisis in South Sudan, Yemen, Nigeria and Somalia.  

During this famine crisis, Australia could show leadership by offering greater levels of financial aid as well as increasing our diplomatic efforts to facilitate peace.

When will the Turnbull government do the right thing? When will the Turnbull government help the people of East Africa enjoy a feast upon their senses?

Elisha McMurray, Reservoir, Vic.

Eleven of the 31 80km/h speed limit signs along Jerrara Road and several speed advisory signs are now lying in side bushes.

Under road rules, the absence of these signs means that motorists can travel at 100km/h. So much for Goulburn Mulwaree Council’s road safety efforts!

Ross Goddard, Marulan.