On any given day the amount of gas in use by Tasmanians is minuscule by comparison to any other state.

Tasmania is in a unique position as we the taxpayers still own our generation and transmission infrastructure.

However, as long as we are tethered to the mainland by either the unreliable Basslink or the proposed Marinus private money making venture, Tasmanians will continue to pay market prices for energy.

The energy discussions mentioned in the article by Sean Ford are almost exclusively behind closed doors and not between our elected representatives and ourselves.

King Island is our Petri dish.

Using wind, solar, batteries, diesel and a flywheel, the island has cut the price of diesel in half without the need of any billion dollar umbilical cord.

So it can be done but here is the rub, no price decreases to the islanders.

Also apparent, they can not do away with diesel as it must cut in when wind and solar fluctuate.

Yes we have gas and as a backup it is necessary.

But we should be saying to the world we are almost totally green.

Want to be part of it? Then move here. Instead we pander to money men who want to use our clean production to make millions.

MY beloved mother died five years ago from Motor Neurone Disease.

As if having this disease was not enough, she was also forced to endure a painful, torturous and prolonged death.

We now have VAD available in Victoria and each time I learn of an MND patient that has availed themselves of this practice I am overcome with a plethora of emotions.

Happy and relieved for the said individual and family that they did not have to endure the horrific death that mum experienced.

Yet, I must be honest, I feel a deep sense of anger almost tinged with envy that this humane and compassionate option was not available to be afforded to mum.

The Tasmanian End of Life Choices Bill 2020 will not result in more individuals dying, these people have already received their life sentences.

What it will allow, is for those already dying, like my dear mum, to have the option of ending the hideous suffering that diseases such as hers inflict upon their victims.

I sincerely hope that Tasmanian MPs debate this issue in a respectful and reasoned manner and that compassion and common sense prevail.

I applaud all the people in the community that are concerned for those people that are addicted to pokies, any form of addictive gambling is insidious.

However, please remember that this group makes up a microscopic portion of those that play the machines.

The extremely vast majority of players are responsible and know their limitations.

It is indeed sad that there are those that the machines have a hold over, that cannot stop playing and are impacted financially, hurting themselves and their families.

The calls to take pokies out of pubs and clubs would be harsh on those responsible players who enjoy the occasional flutter on a night out.

For those that have a pokies addiction problem, there are measures to help them in place by the gaming venues, by community groups, by state and federal governments.

Don't tar all pokies players with the same brush. Certainly help those with the problem, but don't demand a solution that would impact on so many that is a problem of so few.

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