(Private Members Statement, 22 November 2024, Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament)

New South Wales has a world-class healthcare system that relies on the highly skilled workforce of nurses and midwives. I place on record my support for the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association campaign for improved pay and conditions. Nurses and midwives in public hospitals and clinics work in high-pressure, high-stakes environments to keep the community safe. The State is experiencing record levels of activity in emergency departments and across the public health system, putting additional expectations on nurses and midwives and resulting in high levels of exhaustion. That rising pressure has not been reflected in their remuneration.

Nurses and midwives have suffered from over a decade of wage stagnation at a time of rising cost‑of‑living pressures. New South Wales nurses and midwives are now the lowest paid in the country, with pay rates 16 per cent lower than their counterparts in Queensland. As a result, they are leaving the State in droves, finding jobs elsewhere that provide higher remuneration and access to more affordable housing. They are also leaving the profession to seek better pay in a less stressful workplace, particularly in response to significant burnout caused by the pandemic. I am chairing an inquiry into essential worker housing that is uncovering the extreme difficulties nurses face in securing a home they can afford close to where they work. Shiftwork makes living far from a job especially challenging. I hope the inquiry will result in policies that reduce the housing burden for nurses and midwives, but it is not a replacement for equitable pay.

If we do not deliver pay rates that reflect the skills, knowledge and value of nurses and midwives, we will struggle to retain and recruit a workforce that will keep the community safe. The Government has introduced safe nursing ratio policies and new hospitals are being built, but we will not be able to deliver improved services if we cannot engage the nurses and midwives needed to fill positions. I understand that a shortage of midwives in rural areas is forcing women to travel long distances to give birth. The Nurses and Midwives' Association is calling for a 15 per cent pay increase effective from 1 July this year, with doubled penalty rates for night shiftwork. Thanks to the removal of the public sector wages cap, the Government has created an opportunity to negotiate with frontline workers and ensure they can be compensated fairly.

The State has achieved record deals with teachers and police, and I understand negotiations with nurses and midwives over the pay increase are continuing. Improving pay rates for nurses and midwives is not just about recognising their contribution but also about investing in a healthy future for the State. The viability of the health system relies on nursing being an attractive profession. Increasing pay rates by 15 per cent will recognise the skills, knowledge and experience of nurses and midwives and their importance in delivering a safe, high-quality, timely, equitable and accessible healthcare system. The wider community supports the campaign, and I call on the Government to continue working with the association to deliver a better pay deal for nurses and midwives.

That was my final contribution for the year in this Chamber. I wish all members a very merry Christmas and end of year. I wish everyone who works in the parliamentary precinct a safe new year and Christmas. I also wish everyone who comes to visit or protest outside this place a very safe and merry Christmas and new year.