Page 1846 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 8 June 2022
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long run. It ensures that people receive the care that they need, and it prevents bigger problems in the longer term.
Appropriate staffing levels protect the wellbeing of our mental health nurses. They help us to reduce staff burnout and to ensure the retention of an experienced workforce. We heard Mr Davis talk about the importance of retaining the staff that we have and taking care of them, as well as recruiting more. Ratios will be considered in the context of the ongoing work that we are doing on the mental health workforce strategy, but I know that Canberra Health Services remain committed to meeting the elements of ratio compliance by 30 June 2022, with ongoing recruitment and our onboarding of nursing staff. I thank them for their work on this. I commend an amended version of this motion.
MS CASTLEY (Yerrabi) (3.30): My job here, as a member of the opposition, is to hold the government to account. It is not to promise that I would find things; it is to bring a piece of information to Canberrans that shows the government have not done what they said they would do.
These are your time frames and your figures, not mine. I did not come up with the amnesty period to end in June. I have the figures here; 89 per cent compliance is not compliance. You said that 90 staff was what it was going to take to get the ratios up and running—one to four, morning and evening; one to six at night. You are at 88, yet still not compliant. When Queensland implemented their ratios, they were 97 per cent compliant within the first month.
This motion is simply about getting the data. Yes, the figures that we had were for February. We need more information. Canberrans deserve it. They voted for you, so they deserve to see—
Members interjecting—
Ms Cheyne: Mr Assistant Speaker—
MS CASTLEY: They voted for the Labor-Greens government.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Pettersson): Ms Castley, please resume your seat. A point of order?
Ms Cheyne: Mr Assistant Speaker, as per the standing orders, all remarks need to be directed to you or through you, not directly across the chamber to members. I ask Ms Castley to accord with the standing orders and conventions of debate.
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Thank you, Ms Cheyne.
MS CASTLEY: The Canberrans, the good Canberrans—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Ms Castley, can you resume your seat for one second? Ms Cheyne, thank you for raising that point of order. I agree. Unfortunately,
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