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MADAM SPEAKER, THE NURSES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994 IS ANOTHER IN A

SERIES OF A.C.T. HEALTH PROFESSIONS REGISTRATION LAWS TO BE

AMENDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AUSTRALIAN HEALTH MINISTER'S

AGREEMENT TO ADOPT CONSISTENT STANDARDS IN RELATION TO THE

REGULATION OF HEALTH OCCUPATIONS.

THE NURSES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1994 PROVIDES FOR NATIONALLY

AGREED UNIFORM STANDARDS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR REGULATING

NURSES AND FOR UNIFORM DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS WHICH CAN BE

IMPOSED EITHER SINGULARLY OR IN COMBINATION.

IN PARTICULAR THE BILL RECOGNISES THE ENTITLEMENT OF A PERSON

WHO IS REGISTERED OR ENROLLED AS A NURSE IN A STATE OR ANOTHER

TERRITORY TO REGISTRATION OR ENROLMENT IN THE A.C.T., AND

PROVIDES FOR CONDITIONS WHICH ARE IMPOSED UPON A NURSE'S

REGISTRATION OR ENROLMENT IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION AS A RESULT

OF DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO BE APPLIED IN RESPECT OF THE PERSON'S

REGISTRATION OR ENROLMENT IN THE TERRITORY.

THESE PROVISIONS ARE INTENDED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE

MUTUAL RECOGNITION PRINCIPLE RELATING TO OCCUPATIONS AS SET

OUT IN SECTION 17 OF THE COMMONWEALTH MUTUAL RECOGNITION

ACT 1992.

THE APPLICATION OF THAT PRINCIPLE TO THE TERRITORY AND TO

OTHER JURISDICTIONS HAS GIVEN RISE TO THE DESIRABILITY OF

ADOPTING AGREED MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR REGISTRATION OR

ENROLMENT AS A NURSE.

UNLESS ALL JURISDICTIONS WHERE MUTUAL RECOGNITION APPLIES

HAVE THE SAME STANDARD FOR REGISTRATION OR ENROLMENT OF A

PERSON AS A NURSE, THE JURISDICTION WITH A LOWER STANDARD WILL

PROVIDE A MEANS FOR A PERSON WHO SATISFIES THAT STANDARD, BUT

NOT THE HIGHER STANDARD REQUIRED BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS, TO

GAIN REGISTRATION OR ENROLMENT IN THOSE JURISDICTIONS UNDER

THE MUTUAL RECOGNITION PRINCIPLE.

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