And to deny them adequate pain relief prior to diagnosis is even crueler.

My late mother agonised in pain for more than 12 months prior to her cancer diagnosis and was denied pain relief the whole time.

Mind you, the minute she received the cancer diagnosis there was a tanker load of liquid morphine on her doorstep.

To deny a patient adequate pain relief simply because the machines (scanners and x-rays) can’t find cause of their pain is undoubtedly cruel too. There is too much stigma attached to cancer and pain. There are a lot more painful diseases than cancer, which are even harder to detect.

Why should patients with such disease suffer a longer duration of agony when there’s no need to?

IN REPLY to the rail assessment outcome “disappointing” (The Examiner, October 28), Mr Chris Griffin, Tourism Northern Tasmania’s chief executive said the proposed rail trail had been in the works for 10 years. Then they stated that the first study was done in 2013. This is very confusing.

He also stated that they have always supported the rail trail. That was because they assisted in writing the proposal for the federal funding.

Tourism Northern Tasmania receives its funding from all the Northern councils but as a body that is supposedly promoting tourism, surely it should be open to any sector of the community that wants to promote the heritage of Tasmania to the world and diversify the tourism product.

For instance, Fingal Valley Coal Festival organisers have requested that permission be given for a ‘tourist train’ for its festival and the progressive mayor of Break O’ Day Mick Tucker, I believe, would be most disappointed if heritage rail is not given permission, to have an excursion rail to their festival. Likewise, The Derwent Valley Line with rail excursions to Maydena and the National Park, tourists are demanding it.

Minister Rene Hidding, both Fingal and New Norfolk are in Lyons electorate and should be given due consideration - they are not asking for government subsidies, only permission to use the rail network.

The rail proponents welcome the cost benefit study that is to be conducted on both proposals as it will highlight the actual benefits that the North East will gain from retaining the railway infrastructure. It would have been impossible for two consultants to decide the future of the 129-year-old railway in the short time frame.

TRAVELLING the Midland Highway during the past 18 months and more, putting up with all the roadworks and delays, I have one question for our Liberal government.

What happened to the planned dual lane highway in both directions?

As I remember prior to the last election that was your big promise, yet all we have ended up with is a few new extra passing lanes.

Surely with the amount of money spent doing that it would have been more cost effective to add the extra three metres in width, instead of up to that in height (still can't work that one out why the height of the roads had to change from what they have been for years). All in all, it’s very disappointed and there’s no real improvement.

Guessing in years to come, more money will be spent (wasted) adding on the extra lane like what was done near Westbury on the Bass Highway, where you were never sure if it was dual or single lane, it changed that much, which just leads to more crashes.

A SIMPLE question: Did Eric Abetz know of the Steven Parry problem?

I RECEIVED my latest edition of the stamp bulletin from Australia Post and found that once again there was no one dollar Christmas stamp.

Obviously, the very highly paid executives at Australia Post cannot conceive that people like myself will write a letter with their Christmas cards and would therefore appreciate a one dollar Christmas stamp to put on the envelope.

Merry Christmas.

IT’S GREAT to see cranes once more on the Launceston skyline.  

Things are happening with our city with several more projects at planning stage.  

City of Launceston and the state government must be congratulated for establishing the climate for this growth.  

Tasmania is moving ahead once more after a period of stagnation.

Dick James, Launceston.

IF RECREATIONAL drugs were legalised, the police could spend more time catching criminals. 

Instead, they are arresting drug users or monitoring motorcycle gangs.

Leon Cooper, St Leonards.

EXACTLY how does protesting the new $2 coin made to honour the soldiers who fought and died for the freedom of all Australians help Aboriginals?

Will it provide aid to the disadvantaged?

Would a design Michael Mansell is happy with provide funds for Original Australians in Northern Territory schools?

Or perhaps in hindsight, we should not have fought in World War II and let the opposition win.