I stand with our front line nurses and health staff
9th February 2022
I totally support our nurses and health staff in the stand they are taking against the government over working conditions, and I extend that support to those working in aged care.
It's true that our health system has been under extreme stress during the Covid pandemic, but many of the problems we are seeing today existed long before the first case of Covid arrived in our hospitals - staffing ratios and pay are foremost among them.
The current situation is breaking many good people in the front line of our health system, many of whom are no strangers to 12- and 18-hour shifts. It needs to be fixed, and I will keep pushing for a fix.
To our nurses, AINs, midwifery staff, ED staff, aged care and other allied health staff, I thank you again for all you're doing, especially over the past two years, and stand with you for a better deal.