Media Release
13 August 2007
Another hysterical rant from Minister Hockey on nurses' campaign
Minister Joe Hockey’s latest hysterical rant (media release 13 August 2007) against the Australian Nursing Federation’s campaign on WorkChoices is the latest example of a desperate Government.
Jill Iliffe, Federal Secretary of the Australian Nursing Federation said today, “just as the Howard Government maintains its right to spend $100 million of taxpayers money informing the community of the benefits of WorkChoices, so too does the ANF have the right to inform its membership on the impact of WorkChoices on nurses.
Contrary to Minister Hockey’s claims of lies and a waste of member’s resources, Ms Iliffe said the ANF campaign would provide nurses with relevant and important information as well as a message to all political parties that industrial relations laws are important to nurses. Ms Iliffe stated the campaign would include the following facts:
FACT: Under WorkChoices nurses have already lost conditions of employment, such as minimum breaks between shifts and penalty rates.
FACT: Under WorkChoices nurses no longer have a right to challenge their dismissal. A consequence of this is that many patients and particularly residents in aged care facilities have lost an important advocate.
FACT: Nurses in Australia do not have the fundamental right to collectively bargain; a right available throughout the rest of the western world.
FACT: Many nurses do not operate in the public sector where currently they have the protection of state and territory Labor governments. Nurses work in all sectors: the private sector, the aged care sector, the community sector. Those nurses need protection.
Ms Iliffe said, “it will be these and other important industrial issues that will form the substance of the ANF campaign. The ANF will not be telling nurses how to vote. Nurses will be able to make up their own mind on polling day whether or not WorkChoices is a significant factor in the way they wish to cast their vote in the federal election”.
The ANF, representing 150,000 members, is the professional and industrial voice for nurses and midwives in
Media inquiries
Jill Iliffe, Federal Secretary 0419 576 590
Ged Kearney, Assistant Federal Secretary 0417 053 322