Australian Nursing Federation

In an important demonstration of solidarity with nurses in East Timor, ANF Federal Secretary Ged Kearney and ANF Tasmania branch Organiser Agnes Stanislaus-Large travelled to Dili at the end of June to distribute much-needed funds to nurses affected by the unrest in 2006.

Over the last two years, ANF members have generously donated over $150,000 to assist members of the East Timor Nurses' Association to rebuild houses that were damaged or destroyed in the unrest. The ANF worked together with Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA and the East Timor Nurses' Association to distribute the money to 130 nurses.

A formal ceremony was convened so that Ged Kearney could personally meet the nurses whose homes had been damaged or destroyed. "It was a humbling and emotional experience to meet the nurses who had continued to work through the unrest, caring for injured and sick people in the hospitals, all the while knowing that they had no home to go back to," Ged Kearney said. Many nurses and their families stayed in camps in the hospital grounds continuing to work long and difficult hours.

Bernardo Amaral do Rosario, one of the nurses who received the funds, would like to thank the ANF on behalf of all the nurses who received funds from the ANF, and says the money will help their families to rebuild their houses and to replace furniture that was destroyed. Bernardo says "I know that this is not the first time the ANF has collaborated with Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA to assist the East Timor Nurses' Association. We are very proud of ANF members who show their solidarity with us through this funding. Even though we are across the water, they still pay full attention to us. I hope that our relationship will grow stronger, and once again I would like to thank very deeply the ANF and their members." | Union Aid Abroad - APHEDA website

Council of Australian Governments' (COAG) Update

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) met in Sydney on July 3. COAG is represented by the Prime Minister, Premiers, Chief Ministers and the President of the Australian Local Government Association, were joined by Commonwealth and State and Territory Treasurers.

On July 3, COAG made decisions that will directly affect occupational health and safety (OHS), health, and Indigenous health.

Occupational Health and Safety

One of the aims of the reform is to simplify Australia’s overlapping and inconsistent regulations that exist between the states and territories, with the intention of making it easier for businesses and workers to operate across State and Territory (State) borders.

An area of regulation that will be impacted by this is occupational health and safety (OHS)

Government leaders signed an OHS agreement; the changes in this agreement will see the implementation of uniform legislation, complemented by consistent compliance and enforcement.

The harmonisation of occupational health and safety regimes has long been identified as a key issue for business, with the inconsistencies of current approaches resulting in unnecessary cost and complexity, particularly for those businesses that operate across jurisdictions.

The ANF is concerned about the implications of this reform and COAG indicated that they recognised legitimate concerns about workplace safety and reaffirmed the requirement that there be no reduction or compromise in workplace safety.

It is important that as a result of this reform, all government leaders ensure Australians have equitable access to quality OH&S protection, as outlined in the ACTU OH&S Charter.

Health

As part of the meetings COAG endorsed a $136.4 million organ and tissue donation reform package to be established by 1 January 2009. The package will be lead by the Commonwealth and delivered in partnership with the States.

The package aims to build upon international models in the clinical systems to improve the number of organ and tissue donors, promote community awareness and support donor families.

So called The National Plan to Boost Organ Donation, it will fund a network of specialist doctors and clinical nurse educators in public and private hospitals around Australia to focus solely on organ and tissue donation. There will also be funds to hospitals for the additional staffing, bed and infrastructure costs associated with the donation process.

This national effort will be spearheaded by an independent national authority for organ donation and transplantation.

There is also a health and ageing reform agenda proposed for implementation from 2009 which includes a substantial program of hospital reform, improvements to Indigenous health, chronic disease management and preventative health care.

Health reform will directly impact nurses, the ANF will continue to represent our members in the reform process. | For more information please visit the ANF Campaign for Change website

Additional 50,000 Vocational Education and Training Places in Health

COAG received advice from Skills Australia on the possible allocation of up to 50,000 additional vocational education and training places over three years for national priority health occupations under the Productivity Places Program.

COAG agreed that all governments would immediately roll-out the first 4,500 places of the 50,000 to be allocated to the priority health occupations, with detailed arrangements to be agreed between jurisdictions by 31 July 2008. Full implementation of the Productivity Places Program will occur over the next four years from 1 January 2009. | More information

Indigenous Reform – Closing the Gap

It is re-assuring to note that the government leaders agreed to continue their efforts to achieve the Closing the Gap targets for Indigenous people.

They agreed in principle to a National Partnership with joint funding of around $547.2 million over six years to address the needs of Indigenous children in their early years.

The National Partnership is based on evidence that for improved health in Indigenous children there must be better access to antenatal care, teenage reproductive and sexual health services, child and maternal health services and integrated child and family services.

The ANF supports implementation of the HREOC* Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner's recommendations to achieve health equality for Indigenous people within a generation. The ANF also urges the government to implement the recommendations in the Little Children are Sacred Report through an effective process of consultation.

Next Meeting

Following an offer from the Western Australian Government, COAG agreed to hold its next meeting in Perth on 2 October 2008.