Mental ill-health is no longer a chemical unbalance so that doctors and pharmaceutical companies can make big dollars.

We have a problem with high unemployment neo-liberal governments. They keep people poor and struggling to constantly improve productivity in the workplace for their political donors.

The general public pays a fortune for disability pensions because people are emotionally unwell. Many sufferers just need to work, make lots of money and to connect with their fellow citizens.

Leon Cooper, Longford.

I FIND it disappointing that newly-elected Liberal Senator Claire Chandler would use palliative care to justify her position on voluntary assisted dying (The Examiner, July 12). It is entirely wrong to conflate the two issues.

The World Health Organisation regards quality palliative care as being a human right, and we should all agree that it is important regardless of our views on voluntary assisted dying. If Senator Chandler truly believes in access to palliative care, I encourage her to talk to her state colleagues about their undelivered election promise for palliative care beds in the North-West.

Senator Catryna Bilyk, Labor Senator for Tasmania.

I AM a fairly frequent visitor to Launceston and yesterday had a very pleasant coffee and cake at the Paper Beach Cafe at Swan Point. While the weather was not exactly conducive to sitting outside in the garden, I was dismayed to see a notice from the owners in the cafe saying that the local council had decreed that anyone who did so would have to be served with takeaway cups and utensils. This is totally at variance with the rest of the world where disposable coffee cups and single-use cutlery are in the process of being banned because of the environmental damage they cause.

Stewart May, ACT.

SURELY a former Tasmanian Attorney General and school principal (as the writer styles himself) would know that, with or without gusto, "British colonial rule" does not continue in Tasmania (The Examiner, July 14). According to the easily accessible website of the Museum of Australian Democracy, the former colony of Van Diemen's Land gained self-government way back in 1856 as well as, in 21st-century lingo, a new branding. Maybe a tongue-in-cheek emoticon was missing.

Leonard Colquhoun, Invermay.

HUMAN achievements: The rewards and values of our world.

Landing on the moon was a massive achievement, and they brought back a couple of rocks. The local pub talk, Mars is next, then perhaps Jupiter, Venus then infinity. Give me the wheel any day. Our world is a wonderful place, and we are doing our best to ruin it. If there is life out there, leave it alone, we will ruin it as well.

Hugh Boyd, Prospect Vale.

AMBULANCE triple-zero calls have been triaged for many years by very competent staff in the Ambulance Tasmania comms room.

After taking the call, an ambulance is dispatched with details, including the urgency of treatment required. A pager message is sent marked "e" for emergency (lights and siren), "u" for urgent (no lights and siren, but get there as fast as you can without speeding) or "n" for non-urgent, which is self-explanatory.

In response to the announcement by Minister Courtney to triage ambulance calls, HACSU assistant state secretary Robbie Moore raised concerns that paramedics do not take calls in the call centre (The Examiner, July 14). Is Mr Moore suggesting that the staff who take the calls and dispatch care based on information presented are not qualified to do so?

If so and given this has been the system for at least the last 10 years that I am aware of, why is this the first time we have heard about it?

In 2013, a trial was conducted by the previous Labor government.

Extended care paramedics were specially trained to carry out in-home treatment that may otherwise require a hospital presentation, for example, stitches, changing catheters, or prescribing some medications.

Cases were referred to them after being triaged by comms staff. The success has resulted in more ECP's being employed in Southern Tasmania. Is Mr Moore suggesting the patients attended by the ECP's were referred by untrained personnel? Or is this a case of union opposition for opposition's sake?

Kelly Wilton, Invermay.

RECENTLY I had an emergency dash by ambulance to the Launceston General Hospital.

I have nothing but praise for the efficient and kindly treatment I received from all staff members.

Thank you, everyone, with a special thanks to the nurses in Ward 5A.

Jeannette Harland, Kings Meadows.