Australia news live: Chalmers says Cyclone Alfred to add $1.2bn to budget deficit; body of missing six-year-old girl found in bushland
In a statement released ahead of the arbitration beginning this morning in Sydney, the president of the doctor's union, the Australian Salaried Medical Officers' Federation (Asmof), Dr. Nick Spooner said:
My psychiatrist colleagues are burnt out, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. They are dedicated to providing the best care for their patients, but they cannot provide safe care under these conditions.
The solution to this crisis is not complicated. It's about valuing psychiatrists, paying them fairly, and ensuring that NSW has enough doctors to provide the care patients deserve.
The Minns government has a choice—fix the problem or let the system collapse completely.'
As part of the arbitration proceedings, ASMOF will call on the Minns government to act immediately to fix the crisis by urgently recruiting additional psychiatrists to fill vacancies, fully funding training and registration fees to attract new doctors, and providing a 25% pay increase for psychiatrists to stem the flow of doctors leaving NSW.
They also want to see the establishment of a formal Psychiatry Workforce Committee to oversee staffing and recruitment and implement a structured dispute resolution process to improve working conditions. Share Natasha May
The doctors union is warning the NSW government's refusal to take action on the psychiatrists workforce crisis is putting lives at risk, as the matter goes to arbitration today.
Psychiatrists resigned en masse from staff specialist positions last month after the government rejected their proposed solution of a special levy to increase their pay by 25%, similar to that which emergency doctors received in 2015.
With 140 vacancies unfilled before the mass resignation, doctors claimed the rise in pay would stem the cycle of specialist doctors leaving the public system because of the untenable workload for those left, and the moral injury felt being unable to give patients the quality of care they want to.
The NSW government asked the Industrial Relations Commission to urgently intervene in January, with the date for expedited arbitration a full bench of the commission to hear the dispute set from 17-21 March.
Of the 206 who intended to resign, 62 have followed through with resignations but many more have either deferred their resignations or transferred to visiting medical officer contracts whilst they await the outcome of the IRC process. Share
Good morning.
Politicians have been warned against 'election sweeteners' as economists flag growing fiscal holes in Australia's budget, AAP reports.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers has started feeding commitments to the public ahead of the 25 March budget and is expected to announce disaster recovery funds for Queensland and northern NSW communities battered by ex-tropical cyclone Alfred.
The cyclone is projected to add at least $1.2bn to the upcoming budget, on top o f $11.6bn blocked out for disaster support, new figures show. It has already dealt a billion-dollar hit to GDP, could wipe one quarter of a percentage point from quarterly growth, caused the economy to shed 12 million work hours, and could put upwards pressure on inflation.
In New South Wales, the body of a six-year-old girl has been found in bushland north of Nowra after as wide scale search and rescue operation was launched on Sunday. Inquiries are underway.
Still in NSW, the premier, Chris Minns, has announced a mini cabinet reshuffle, triggered by the resignation of former transport minister Jo Haylen last month. Interim transport minister John Graham will permanently remain in the portfolio, and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin will be promoted to a ministerial position.
And arbitration over a mass-resignation of psychiatrists in NSW over industrial disputes will begin today – more on that to come.
I'm Caitlin Cassidy, let's get into it. Share
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