The Premium Debate: Subscribers’ thoughts on 5000 nurses moving to Australia

OPINION:

Nearly 5000 New Zealand nurses have registered to work in Australia since August. It shows the extent of those crossing — or planning to cross — the ditch, often to take up lucrative short-term contracts of up to NZ$8500 a week. There is a huge nursing shortage in Australia, a major contributor to delays in emergency departments, surgery and many other services. There were about 54,000 nurses working in New Zealand, some of them part-time. Last year, the estimated shortage was 4000, but Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand said it did not know the present situation. The Nurses Organisation said it wanted money specifically allocated in this year’s Budget for funding for nurses.

Read the full story: Rotorua nurse Tracey Morgan joins thousands moving to Australia.

Have your say by going to bayofplentytimes.co.nz or dailypost.co.nz and becoming a Premium subscriber.

Nurse practitioner here. I have worked in Aussie and have done locuming for very good money. The fact is, they are in the same boat as us, yet they have a [larger] population and money to pay the big dollars, compared to us. Conditions, I would argue, were the same as here. I was doing rural fly-in and fly-out work for 12 weeks with accommodation subsidies, and it was very challenging work. If I were single without dependents, I would be doing this again in a heartbeat to make bank for a home deposit again. Baylee’s husband.

Baylee N

The District Health Board amalgamation is working exceptionally well. Nero fiddles while Rome burns.

Pim V

Other countries were quick off the bat to attract staff across all sectors, while the Government kept patting itself on an “amazing” Covid-19 response ‘til almost the middle of 2022. If we pay less than Australia and make it difficult for the nurses to get residency, who in their right mind will want to stay here?

Nihal F

Better pay, better climate, less PC country, why wouldn’t you go?

Steven W

In response to Steven W: No, I wouldn’t go. I value and care about my own country, and I do not think NZ should be stealing other countries’ essential workers to replace those that have chosen to desert us.

Janet H

Labour’s policies are clearly driving nurses (and others) out of the country. But not to worry, Australia is sending us NZ-born criminals to replace them. Please vote to remove this Government from power before we have no healthcare workers remaining.

Daphne P

Who knew that not allowing nurses in during Covid and letting in entertainers would have this effect on the system?

Mark Y

Emigrated here 20 years ago, and when I went anywhere in the world and said I lived in NZ, people’s response was, ‘I’m jealous’, ‘Oh, lucky you!’ etc. I went back to the UK last year, and the opinion now to the same comment is just, ‘Oh!’, followed by a grimace. I don’t think people overseas look at NZ as paradise any longer.

Steve L

This can’t be right. We are constantly being told our health system is coping.

Mark Y

The health services are in a death spiral. Unless there is an immediate change in the way in which nurses and GPs are valued, mortality will skyrocket. This is absolutely certain.

Andrew M

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