❓ Dr. Woollard asks about delays for NZ nurses registering in WA due to WA not being part of the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement. Minister McGinty explains the legislation is stalled in the Legislative Council and provides statistics on nursing employment.
AnsweredQoN 591Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) Is the minister aware that New Zealand nurses have higher costs and sometimes have to wait several weeks to register with the Nurses Board of WA because Western Australia is not party to the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement? (2) Will the minister explain why Western Australia is not party to the agreement, and whether the Government will consider becoming party to the agreement? Mr J.A. McGINTY
AnswerView source ↗
(1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
(2) Will the minister explain why Western Australia is not party to the agreement, and whether the Government will consider becoming party to the agreement? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
(1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
(2) Will the minister explain why Western Australia is not party to the agreement, and whether the Government will consider becoming party to the agreement? Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
Mr J.A. McGINTY replied: (1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
(1)-(2) Australian and New Zealand nursing qualifications are recognised as comparable by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Council. Western Australia, as the member rightly indicated, has not yet signed the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement, but this Government introduced into this Parliament legislation to bring the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement into effect. That legislation was passed by this House in August 2002, and was transmitted to the Legislative Council, where it has sat ever since. That legislation has simply sat there for over two years, and, with the Liberal Party and a very big backlog of legislation in that House, it has not been able to progress that legislation which should proceed in an uncontroversial way - but, over two years is a disgrace. If that legislation ever passes the Legislative Council, mutual recognition will apply, particularly to nurses. As the member just raised, nursing is a recognised equivalent occupation under both the Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Agreement and the Mutual Recognition Agreement under the Mutual Recognition (Western Australia) Act 2001. Under the principles of mutual recognition, one jurisdiction automatically recognises a nurse who is registered in another jurisdiction. In the meantime, a nurse registered in New Zealand can apply to the Nurses Board of WA for registration in this State. New Zealand nurses who apply directly to the Nurses Board of WA for registration will have their nursing education qualifications assessed. Once approved by the board, they will be registered to practice as nurses in Western Australia. There are and have been no obstacles to New Zealand nurses being recognised in Western Australia. The application process currently takes up to four weeks. This issue has been discussed by the Department of Health and the Nurses Board with a view to accelerating the process to ensure maximum ease of registration. The member will be interested to know, because of her great interest in matters relating to nursing, some current statistics on nursing. When the Gallop Government came to power in 2001, there were 8 082 full-time equivalent nurses employed in the public hospital system here in Western Australia. As of July 2004 that figure had increased by 1 230 to 9 320 nurses. Also, a total of 654 graduate nurses have applied for a position in the State’s public hospitals next year compared with only 331 in 2004, nearly double the number of nurses who made an application. The panel contract for agency nursing services has been operating since 28 July 2004. As a result of the introduction of NurseWest, dependency on agency nurses to fill temporary vacancies has decreased significantly, saving the Government a massive $24.7 million in the 2003-04 financial year. In July this year only 181 temporary vacancies in the metropolitan area were filled by agency nurses, compared with 409 in July 2002. I pay tribute to my predecessor as Minister for Health for the excellent work he did with nurses in this State.
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