Ironically, the headline is exactly what should be pushed for, not the misguided comments, pertaining to euthanasia, that followed.

People in "immense pain and terminally ill" should never be abandoned especially by their elected politicians.

There is a loving alternative to euthanasia, palliative care, this is about 'killing the pain not the patient'.

If, in the process of gradually killing the pain of the terminally ill, one's life is ended, it is ethical and in conformity with the Hippocratic Oath.

We are blessed with amazing palliative care here in Griffith at the St Vincent's Private Community Hospital and the Griffith Base Hospital.

As a priest, in service to the community, it is a privilege to be there with the terminally ill, and often their families, as they prepare to enter into Eternal Life.

God is the author of life not man.

Let us not fall into the false notion, justified by false compassion, that we can play God.

I hope and pray that our elected politicians will serve us with true love by campaigning for more palliative care and strengthening our families.

How long will our communities put up with the way we are treated by major political parties before saying 'enough is enough'?

Surely the way we have recently watched politics at play - at our expense - is sufficient to highlight the need for change.

First, we had the National Party put an amendment to the Senate to stop the additional 450 gigalitres of water being taken from our farmers, which we all know would be a disaster for northern Victoria and southern NSW.

As usual it got nowhere, because the Liberals and the Labor/Greens quickly knocked it on the head. So yet again the Nats get railroaded by the Liberals at our expense.

But wait; we have our trusty local Member for Farrer (and Cabinet Minister) Sussan Ley who will surely come to the rescue of her constituents. Won't she?

She will surely impress on her Liberal colleagues the absolute fact that if we stop wasting water and manage it more effectively we can protect the environment and at the same time make sure our farmers have the water they need to grow our food.

But no. The only comment I've seen her make on the issue is that she was not surprised the Nationals didn't get support because "government members from the coalition understood the importance of working cooperatively and cohesively".

What sort of political cop out is that? In typical fashion the Member for Farrer has a choice between supporting her party line or supporting her constituency ... and chooses the former.

When we go to the polls late this year or early next year, I would encourage everyone to think long and hard about what has happened to our region over the past decade, first under the watch of Labor/Greens, and now the Liberal/Nationals.

On any scorecard we've been screwed by their political games, and from both sides of politics. And if we keeping voting the same, that's what will continue happening.

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