Enjoy your imminent heart-attack, Monty, which your lifestyle will inevitably bring on.

Alternatively, get off the lounge, change your diet and live a healthier, kinder life.

IT’S January 2017 and we have just seen the end of another American president, Barack Obama, the first Afro-American to hold that crucial office.

There already has and no doubt will continue to be emotional discussion about how good (or otherwise) his presidency was.

Well I would like to say that while he may not have been America’s greatest president, I think he was certainly up there with the finest.

He clearly demonstrated that being one of the most powerful men in the world does not mean you cannot continue to be a decent, caring and principled human being.

Thank you, Barack Obama, for your contribution to the modern world community.

I am terribly sorry but I can’t see your successor making anything near as worthwhile a contribution as you have.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Wagga council for putting in place the centre of Kincaid Street parking, it has been an enormous success.

Now can I make another suggestion? That centre parking be looked at for Peter Street. Get rid of those trees down the centre, they are serving no purpose now and to be rid of them will not be of any loss.

This will ensure we have an increase of parking spaces in Central Wagga. People I have spoken to think that it would be a great idea to adopt.

TODAY I heard the Minister for Human Services state the average wait for phone response from Centrelink is just 12 minutes.

An average figure is ridiculous given the usual estimated wait advice is 20 to 30 minutes.

He also said people can be helped within 10 minutes at a Centrelink office.

That certainly happens if a client is reporting a death of a welfare recipient. However, the lack of staff means that generally people wait a minimum of 20 minutes.

This is no fault of the hardworking and helpful staff.

It would be illuminating for the minister to visit a Centrelink office and observe just what it is like to be in one.

He might just learn something of what the real world is like.

VICTORIAN state MPs may soon participate in a “conscience vote” about legalising euthanasia by doctor-assisted suicide.

What do these people think “conscience” means? For most it seems to mean “what I feel comfortable with”.

Being comfortable is a feeling – not the same as using one’s intelligence or willing good to another person.

If you’re uncomfortable witnessing somebody in a weakened or undignified state or having to bear incompletely-controlled pain, there’s a simple, only-too-obvious solution — kill that person or help them suicide.

Less convenient is the alternative – the attention to detail of good nursing and medication-dosage plus one-to-one spiritual support.

By contrast, killing is a cop-out.