29 June, 2004

Greens carry nurses' fair pay fight into House

The Green Party is calling on the Government to act on the petition signed by the 125,000 New Zealanders demanding that safe hospital staffing levels and fair pay for nurses.

Green Health spokesperson, Sue Kedgley today helped receive the petition on the steps of Parliament.

"Labour has made a lot of supportive noises about pay equity but now is the time for action," said Ms Kedgley. "Nurses are the most glaring example of an entire, largely female, profession that is undervalued and significantly underpaid. While nurses salaries start at around $30,000, police start at $40,000 and can earn over $60,000 on the basic salary scale."

Ms Kedgley, who will question the Health Minister about her Government's intentions in regard to the petition during Question Time in the House this afternoon, also pointed out that the burden placed on under-paid nurses put patient safety at risk.

"The Green Party backs the Nurses Organisation's call for a binding ratio of one nurse to between four and six patients, depending on the size of hospital. Unsafe staffing ratios compromise patient safety and help contribute to the migration of our talented nursing staff to counties where their skills are recognised and rewarded.

"The hospital system is 2000 nurses short, and the government is spending about $100 million a year trying to recruit nurses," Ms Kedgley said. "The fact is, we will never overcome the chronic shortage of nurses in our hospitals until nurses are fairly paid."

Ms Kedgley's question to the Health Minister today: Is she going to act on the call of 125,000 New Zealanders who have signed a petition calling on the Government to fund district health boards so they can pay nurses fairly and ensure safe staffing levels; if not, why not?

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>