WEBVTT - Treasurer dodges question over nurses pay increase

0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:02.199
<v Speaker 1>The state's budget for the next year will be handed

0:00:02.200 --> 0:00:04.160
<v Speaker 1>down in a couple of weeks time. And just like

0:00:04.240 --> 0:00:08.039
<v Speaker 1>most of us, the government's under extreme financial pressure. The

0:00:08.080 --> 0:00:10.200
<v Speaker 1>half Yaly Review was released a few months ago, back

0:00:10.240 --> 0:00:14.400
<v Speaker 1>in December, and the deficit has grown to five billion dollars.

0:00:14.920 --> 0:00:18.119
<v Speaker 1>So the government is spending more money than it receives

0:00:18.120 --> 0:00:21.160
<v Speaker 1>in tax in other revenue, and that must mean I

0:00:21.160 --> 0:00:23.319
<v Speaker 1>would assume that the Treasurer, Daniel Mookie, is going to

0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:26.200
<v Speaker 1>have to make some cutbacks or put up tax. Well,

0:00:26.320 --> 0:00:29.000
<v Speaker 1>let's find out. Daniel Mookie joins me in studio.

0:00:29.040 --> 0:00:31.360
<v Speaker 2>Hello Treasurer, Hello Clinton, thank you for having me in.

0:00:31.480 --> 0:00:33.240
<v Speaker 1>Well, you're going to take some questions from our listeners

0:00:33.240 --> 0:00:35.839
<v Speaker 1>as well, So if you've got a question for the Treasurer,

0:00:36.159 --> 0:00:39.960
<v Speaker 1>and bear in mind he doesn't come armed with reams

0:00:39.960 --> 0:00:43.199
<v Speaker 1>of paperwork, so he'll be using his brain here if

0:00:43.240 --> 0:00:45.959
<v Speaker 1>you do have questions one, eight, seven, three, and I've

0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:47.479
<v Speaker 1>got a few questions that have been sent to us

0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:49.400
<v Speaker 1>as well. But this is your opportunity. If there's a

0:00:49.440 --> 0:00:52.560
<v Speaker 1>particular question about government spending, if there's something you want

0:00:52.600 --> 0:00:55.560
<v Speaker 1>to see in the budget, an area of spending that

0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:58.040
<v Speaker 1>you believe is essential for our city. Give me a

0:00:58.040 --> 0:01:00.000
<v Speaker 1>call out one three one eight seven three. You can

0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:04.160
<v Speaker 1>send messages zero force zero eight seven three eight seven three. Okay,

0:01:04.200 --> 0:01:08.080
<v Speaker 1>deficit you're revealed in December. It's five billion dollars a

0:01:08.120 --> 0:01:09.639
<v Speaker 1>couple of weeks until your hand down the budget.

0:01:09.640 --> 0:01:10.280
<v Speaker 2>Will it come down?

0:01:11.160 --> 0:01:13.200
<v Speaker 3>Well, you'll have to wait and see for budget Day.

0:01:13.240 --> 0:01:15.160
<v Speaker 3>But I can definitely make the point that yeah, you're right,

0:01:15.160 --> 0:01:17.440
<v Speaker 3>the budget is under pressure. When I became Treasurer, I

0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:21.360
<v Speaker 3>inherited a budget deficit of roughly fifteen billion dollars last

0:01:21.440 --> 0:01:24.759
<v Speaker 3>year New South Wales I had twelve point six billion

0:01:24.800 --> 0:01:27.800
<v Speaker 3>dollars of GST income taken off us for the next

0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:30.440
<v Speaker 3>four years. So we're under pressure and we have to

0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:32.800
<v Speaker 3>be very careful with every single dollar that we're spending,

0:01:33.319 --> 0:01:36.640
<v Speaker 3>and that's not changed in this particular budget. Every single

0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:39.560
<v Speaker 3>dollar that we are collecting from people through taxes or

0:01:39.600 --> 0:01:42.399
<v Speaker 3>we're getting from the Commonwealth, we have to make sure

0:01:42.440 --> 0:01:44.240
<v Speaker 3>that it's getting a good return for the public.

0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.840
<v Speaker 1>Are you going to have to make some cuts?

0:01:47.040 --> 0:01:49.520
<v Speaker 3>There's no broad cuts coming in the budget. We have

0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.320
<v Speaker 3>been very disciplined in our spending since we got here

0:01:52.400 --> 0:01:55.600
<v Speaker 3>in and formed government now nearly two years ago.

0:01:55.680 --> 0:01:58.200
<v Speaker 1>Can we keep that on tape. The Treasurer has said

0:01:58.200 --> 0:01:59.760
<v Speaker 1>there will be no broad cuts in this.

0:01:59.800 --> 0:02:02.240
<v Speaker 2>Bar No, of course, there's not any broadcuts coming.

0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:05.160
<v Speaker 3>What we are absolutely doing, though, is we are making

0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:07.680
<v Speaker 3>sure that every dollar is being well spent. If we

0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.239
<v Speaker 3>think a program is not returning, we are absolutely clear

0:02:10.240 --> 0:02:12.799
<v Speaker 3>about the fact that we will move the money. If

0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:14.760
<v Speaker 3>we think that a money can be put to a

0:02:14.800 --> 0:02:18.200
<v Speaker 3>better use, we absolutely will put it to a better use. Absolutely,

0:02:18.200 --> 0:02:20.240
<v Speaker 3>I want to be very clear about that, Clinton, and

0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:22.760
<v Speaker 3>that's what you would expect me to do. On behalf

0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:25.040
<v Speaker 3>of the people of New South Wales. I will say

0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:27.880
<v Speaker 3>when I came to power, I inherited from my predecessor

0:02:28.320 --> 0:02:31.480
<v Speaker 3>expresse growth that was about twenty four percent per year.

0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:34.839
<v Speaker 3>That was Matt Keane's last budget. It's come down quite

0:02:34.840 --> 0:02:36.880
<v Speaker 3>significantly like that. We made it very clear at the

0:02:36.919 --> 0:02:38.680
<v Speaker 3>time that it's going to take time to repair the

0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:41.720
<v Speaker 3>state's budget position. But I'm confident when people see the numbers,

0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.280
<v Speaker 3>they'll see that we've been very careful. We've been very disciplined.

0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:48.240
<v Speaker 3>Our debt numbers are stable. The budget is under pressure.

0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:50.919
<v Speaker 3>The budget's particularly under pressure right now for two reasons.

0:02:50.960 --> 0:02:54.680
<v Speaker 3>Workers comp and disasters and that will be clear on

0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:55.240
<v Speaker 3>budget day.

0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:55.720
<v Speaker 2>I'll ask you.

0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:58.120
<v Speaker 1>About workers in particular in a moment, because it's some

0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:01.359
<v Speaker 1>significant action next week in that. But whenever I talk

0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:05.200
<v Speaker 1>about the public service and we discuss pay rise as

0:03:05.200 --> 0:03:07.400
<v Speaker 1>a fair bit, because your government has been involved in

0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:09.959
<v Speaker 1>dispute after dispute with different arms of the public service,

0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.360
<v Speaker 1>I keep hearing from our listeners saying why can't the

0:03:13.440 --> 0:03:15.040
<v Speaker 1>nurses get a decent pay rise?

0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:15.280
<v Speaker 2>Now?

0:03:15.280 --> 0:03:18.160
<v Speaker 1>I know this is before the Industr Relations Commission, but

0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:20.760
<v Speaker 1>will there be some joy in the budget for nurses?

0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:25.040
<v Speaker 3>Well, already we are rolling out things like safe staffing

0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.840
<v Speaker 3>levels for our nurses, which was our key election commitment

0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:32.000
<v Speaker 3>and was working closely with the nurses union. And when

0:03:32.000 --> 0:03:35.160
<v Speaker 3>it comes to nurses pay, we already have delivered nurses

0:03:35.280 --> 0:03:38.200
<v Speaker 3>the biggest pay rise they've received in more than a decade.

0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:39.160
<v Speaker 2>But they're telling me.

0:03:39.320 --> 0:03:42.240
<v Speaker 1>The Nurses MIDWAFS Association says that those in Queens that

0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:45.480
<v Speaker 1>have paid I think seventeen percent more and that nurses

0:03:45.520 --> 0:03:47.720
<v Speaker 1>are leaving New South Wales to move to Brisbane.

0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:50.040
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, but I also just point out the stats which

0:03:50.120 --> 0:03:53.480
<v Speaker 3>is we are seeing that nurse recruitment and retention levels

0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:56.839
<v Speaker 3>are now higher than they were pre COVID, and we've

0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:01.000
<v Speaker 3>recovered a large part of our attention issues. And equally

0:04:01.040 --> 0:04:04.800
<v Speaker 3>we are record enrollments in nurses joining New South Wales Health.

0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:07.840
<v Speaker 3>We very much respect the Nurses Association, we very much

0:04:07.880 --> 0:04:10.680
<v Speaker 3>respect the state's nurses. But I'll also just point out

0:04:11.280 --> 0:04:14.960
<v Speaker 3>we brought back an independent umpire for our nurses. We

0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:17.360
<v Speaker 3>didn't say to our nurses that you have to agree

0:04:17.400 --> 0:04:20.800
<v Speaker 3>with us. Unlike the previous government which had used the

0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:24.160
<v Speaker 3>force of law to restrain nurses' wages for a decade,

0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:27.680
<v Speaker 3>we have brought back an independent empire and our nurses

0:04:27.760 --> 0:04:31.520
<v Speaker 3>and the Nurses Union is using it so from our perspective.

0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:33.600
<v Speaker 3>Yet we'll always look to see what more we can

0:04:33.640 --> 0:04:35.800
<v Speaker 3>do with the nurses, but we're not going to hide

0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:38.200
<v Speaker 3>the fact that, of course it remains an issue in dispute.

0:04:38.480 --> 0:04:40.320
<v Speaker 3>Just final point, Clinton, you're making the point about the

0:04:40.320 --> 0:04:44.000
<v Speaker 3>broader workforce. We have reached agreement now with pretty much

0:04:44.040 --> 0:04:47.120
<v Speaker 3>the rest of the public sector, and we are obviously

0:04:47.200 --> 0:04:49.960
<v Speaker 3>waiting to see some further decisions today from Fair Work

0:04:50.279 --> 0:04:53.359
<v Speaker 3>about the rail dispute. But if that's now largely resolved,

0:04:53.839 --> 0:04:57.000
<v Speaker 3>people will see that the investment we have been making

0:04:57.080 --> 0:05:02.440
<v Speaker 3>in essential services does mean that we are investing more

0:05:02.480 --> 0:05:05.200
<v Speaker 3>in our central workers, and that is leading to lower

0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.760
<v Speaker 3>class and cancelations, more police signing up at the academy,

0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:10.360
<v Speaker 3>and better public services for the community.

0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:13.039
<v Speaker 1>The one sector of the workforce that people keep saying

0:05:13.120 --> 0:05:15.440
<v Speaker 1>to this program that they want helped is the nurses.

0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:18.839
<v Speaker 1>So for why is it You've managed big increases for teachers,

0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:22.560
<v Speaker 1>big increases for police officers. And I'm not suggesting particularly

0:05:22.600 --> 0:05:24.880
<v Speaker 1>with the police officers because it's a cential. You had

0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:27.159
<v Speaker 1>a recruitment problem, there's a centially, you address that, But

0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:27.640
<v Speaker 1>why is.

0:05:27.560 --> 0:05:28.279
<v Speaker 2>It the nurses?

0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:30.960
<v Speaker 1>If you can just explain it simply, why can't the

0:05:31.040 --> 0:05:32.600
<v Speaker 1>nurses get an increase of the same size as the

0:05:32.640 --> 0:05:33.600
<v Speaker 1>teachers and the police.

0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:38.200
<v Speaker 3>Well, with the teachers and police, we negotiated hard bargains.

0:05:38.800 --> 0:05:42.719
<v Speaker 3>We did find abundance of resources that allowed us to

0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.360
<v Speaker 3>be redirected towards their pay, which is also the reasons

0:05:45.360 --> 0:05:47.200
<v Speaker 3>why we'd be able to sign up more teachers and

0:05:47.240 --> 0:05:50.520
<v Speaker 3>more police, which is leading to more kids having teachers

0:05:50.520 --> 0:05:52.600
<v Speaker 3>and more cops in our stations. When it comes to

0:05:52.600 --> 0:05:54.719
<v Speaker 3>the nurses, though, I can't duct the fact that we

0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:57.520
<v Speaker 3>worked with the nurses Association pretty tightly on their number

0:05:57.520 --> 0:05:59.760
<v Speaker 3>one priority, which is safe staffing levels, and we've been

0:06:00.000 --> 0:06:03.760
<v Speaker 3>calling that out and we absolutely have made a critical

0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:07.000
<v Speaker 3>investment in safe staffing levels as well as nurses wages

0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:10.000
<v Speaker 3>as well. Of course, the nurses Union is doing their

0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.360
<v Speaker 3>job of always arguing for more. We remain determined to

0:06:13.400 --> 0:06:15.720
<v Speaker 3>see whether we can narrow the differences with the Nurses' union.

0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:17.760
<v Speaker 3>But at the same token, we're being pretty upfront. That's

0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:19.200
<v Speaker 3>why we brought back an independent umpire.

0:06:19.320 --> 0:06:21.520
<v Speaker 1>Some questions from our listeners now on this particular issue,

0:06:21.560 --> 0:06:25.120
<v Speaker 1>Anthony says, you've got plans for the new rouse Hill

0:06:25.320 --> 0:06:28.760
<v Speaker 1>Hospital minium eight hundred staff if they want to operate,

0:06:28.800 --> 0:06:31.120
<v Speaker 1>the use the two hundred beds and operate twenty four

0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:33.640
<v Speaker 1>to seven. Since he doesn't want to pay the nurses

0:06:33.680 --> 0:06:35.000
<v Speaker 1>a wage, how's that going to.

0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.039
<v Speaker 2>Work rouse Hill Hospital?

0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:39.240
<v Speaker 3>Well, at rouse Hill Hospital, we're putting more money into

0:06:39.240 --> 0:06:40.440
<v Speaker 3>the rouse Hill Hospital project.

0:06:40.440 --> 0:06:41.440
<v Speaker 2>In this particular party.

0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:43.040
<v Speaker 1>You're going to have the nurses to staff it. No, no banks,

0:06:43.200 --> 0:06:45.040
<v Speaker 1>you made an announcements this week and thinking about banks twn.

0:06:45.120 --> 0:06:47.239
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, we also made a big investment in Bankstown Hospital

0:06:47.279 --> 0:06:49.159
<v Speaker 3>and look, I just simply point out the facts we

0:06:49.240 --> 0:06:52.240
<v Speaker 3>are enrolling a record a number of nurses that are

0:06:52.320 --> 0:06:55.080
<v Speaker 3>joining the new South Wales Health Service. Equally the same

0:06:55.120 --> 0:06:59.880
<v Speaker 3>time we are retaining our nurses as is, and that's

0:06:59.880 --> 0:07:02.520
<v Speaker 3>a good thing. And when it comes to places like

0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:06.120
<v Speaker 3>rowse Hill Hospital, we're really pleased that we're making a

0:07:06.200 --> 0:07:10.680
<v Speaker 3>critical investment in that hospital, particularly because the community of

0:07:10.760 --> 0:07:13.560
<v Speaker 3>rowse Hill has promised that hospital at three separate elections

0:07:13.640 --> 0:07:16.440
<v Speaker 3>under our predecessors, they're entitled to say, well, we want

0:07:16.440 --> 0:07:19.000
<v Speaker 3>to see it being built and in this particular budget

0:07:19.000 --> 0:07:21.280
<v Speaker 3>that community will see real progress and real dollars being

0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:22.080
<v Speaker 3>put behind the project.

0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:24.520
<v Speaker 1>To detail on this question from Sandra, it's something she's

0:07:24.520 --> 0:07:28.080
<v Speaker 1>passionate about. Could we ask mister Mooky, is it possibly

0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:31.280
<v Speaker 1>increase funding to the Adoption Information Unit. It's part of

0:07:31.280 --> 0:07:34.480
<v Speaker 1>the Department of Communities and Justice, so that all birth

0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:38.040
<v Speaker 1>mothers affected by forced adoption can receive information in regards

0:07:38.040 --> 0:07:40.560
<v Speaker 1>to adopted children. Is that an area that you might

0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:41.400
<v Speaker 1>be able to find money for.

0:07:41.680 --> 0:07:44.720
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well, again, I'm well and truly across the fact

0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:48.040
<v Speaker 3>that lots of people are wanting to see that service improve.

0:07:48.400 --> 0:07:50.120
<v Speaker 3>I am working with the Minister to see what we

0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:53.440
<v Speaker 3>can do there to ensure that people can get access

0:07:53.440 --> 0:07:56.200
<v Speaker 3>to those records. Quicker, I haven't got an announcement for

0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.240
<v Speaker 3>you today on that, Clinton, but you're right to say

0:07:58.280 --> 0:07:59.920
<v Speaker 3>that this is something that's on our radar and we

0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:00.760
<v Speaker 3>are looking at it.

0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:03.440
<v Speaker 1>Michael asked a question here, should the federal government so

0:08:03.480 --> 0:08:04.840
<v Speaker 1>you might be able to flick this down to Canberra,

0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:08.920
<v Speaker 1>Should the federal government fund the revitalization of Cockatoo Ireland

0:08:09.200 --> 0:08:10.520
<v Speaker 1>given its naval history.

0:08:11.120 --> 0:08:14.640
<v Speaker 3>Well, when it comes to money from Canberra, I'm never

0:08:14.640 --> 0:08:19.280
<v Speaker 3>going to say no, So that's a yes. I welcome

0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:22.680
<v Speaker 3>Commonwealth contributions to lots of our different projects, but I'll

0:08:22.720 --> 0:08:25.040
<v Speaker 3>simply say when it comes to cutting money from Canberra,

0:08:25.280 --> 0:08:26.920
<v Speaker 3>I'm always going to accept money for the people in

0:08:26.920 --> 0:08:27.520
<v Speaker 3>New South Wales.

0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:29.800
<v Speaker 1>Now, we've been covering extensively in the last couple of

0:08:29.800 --> 0:08:33.000
<v Speaker 1>weeks the workers compensation fight on the station through our programs.

0:08:33.000 --> 0:08:34.760
<v Speaker 1>Mark Speakon was on my show on the day that

0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:38.000
<v Speaker 1>he voted for an inquiry, teamed up with the Greens

0:08:38.000 --> 0:08:40.840
<v Speaker 1>to do that. The inquiry is next week. Now, I

0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:44.040
<v Speaker 1>understand you have had some meetings with MP's taking part

0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:45.680
<v Speaker 1>in an inquiry in the last twenty four hours.

0:08:45.800 --> 0:08:48.600
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I have the opportunity to provide a briefing to

0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:50.560
<v Speaker 3>that committee. Of course, it's a private briefing, so i

0:08:50.559 --> 0:08:52.839
<v Speaker 3>won't go into the particular details, but I'm looking forward

0:08:52.840 --> 0:08:55.160
<v Speaker 3>to appearing in that committee as well next week. My

0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:57.240
<v Speaker 3>message to the Liberal Party is this is not an

0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:58.920
<v Speaker 3>issue in which we should be playing politics.

0:08:59.440 --> 0:09:01.640
<v Speaker 2>I mean the choice to team up with the Greens.

0:09:01.679 --> 0:09:03.960
<v Speaker 3>They're going to need to explain that decision to the

0:09:04.000 --> 0:09:07.200
<v Speaker 3>three hundred and forty thousand odd small businesses that are

0:09:07.240 --> 0:09:10.160
<v Speaker 3>facing the prospects of a thirty six percent increase in

0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.440
<v Speaker 3>premiums over the next three year, and that's if those

0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.520
<v Speaker 3>businesses have no claims. This system is not working for

0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:18.840
<v Speaker 3>injured workers, it's not working for small businesses, and it's

0:09:18.880 --> 0:09:19.560
<v Speaker 3>not working for the state.

0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:20.520
<v Speaker 2>And this isn't something new.

0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.079
<v Speaker 1>And I've seen data about the historic funding ratios and

0:09:24.760 --> 0:09:26.800
<v Speaker 1>the days date back to even the days I think

0:09:26.800 --> 0:09:28.200
<v Speaker 1>when Dominic Perrote was the Treasurer.

0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:29.880
<v Speaker 2>It does clinton.

0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:34.720
<v Speaker 3>When I came into Parliament, the private sector insurance scheme

0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:38.840
<v Speaker 3>had a dollar thirty two in assets for every dollar

0:09:38.880 --> 0:09:42.400
<v Speaker 3>they have in liabilities. It's now at eighty two cents.

0:09:43.679 --> 0:09:45.360
<v Speaker 3>The scheme now has eighty two.

0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:48.000
<v Speaker 1>So does that mean the scheme is broke, The scheme

0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:48.720
<v Speaker 1>is in a deficit.

0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:49.880
<v Speaker 2>The scheme is in a deficit.

0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:52.600
<v Speaker 3>The scheme is going backwards five million dollars a day,

0:09:53.280 --> 0:09:56.880
<v Speaker 3>and it's not helping people get back to work. It's

0:09:56.920 --> 0:09:59.280
<v Speaker 3>not helping people get back to health. And the people

0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:01.040
<v Speaker 3>who are paying the for it are the people who

0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:03.400
<v Speaker 3>are paying premiums, which is overwhelmingly small business.

0:10:03.440 --> 0:10:05.320
<v Speaker 1>And it's going to mean premiums go up. So hopefully

0:10:05.720 --> 0:10:07.800
<v Speaker 1>the Coalition will do the right thing by their constituents.

0:10:07.800 --> 0:10:09.079
<v Speaker 1>At some point, we want to get to a quick

0:10:09.120 --> 0:10:12.560
<v Speaker 1>call from Christian about nursing. Hello Christen, Hi, It's Kirstin.

0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:16.000
<v Speaker 1>Hello christ Just a quick question with nursing. First of all,

0:10:16.360 --> 0:10:18.240
<v Speaker 1>yes or no? Are they going to get a pay rise?

0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:18.880
<v Speaker 1>Yes or no?

0:10:19.040 --> 0:10:20.520
<v Speaker 2>And second of all, we're.

0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:23.679
<v Speaker 3>Going to find all the nurses to feel the new

0:10:23.720 --> 0:10:25.000
<v Speaker 3>banks Down Hospital.

0:10:24.600 --> 0:10:25.439
<v Speaker 1>All these sorts of things.

0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:28.079
<v Speaker 2>They're not interested in working in these as well as anymore.

0:10:29.200 --> 0:10:32.600
<v Speaker 3>So, as I've said, we have given nurses a pay rise.

0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:34.640
<v Speaker 3>We've given the nurses the best, the best payerrise have

0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:37.520
<v Speaker 3>had more than a decade and they deserve absolutely every cent.

0:10:37.840 --> 0:10:39.680
<v Speaker 3>And when it comes to making sure the hospital has

0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:43.000
<v Speaker 3>been at Lidcomb, Bankstown be at Rouse Hill. We are

0:10:43.040 --> 0:10:46.040
<v Speaker 3>signing up a record number of nurses each year and

0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:46.960
<v Speaker 3>we are retaining them.

0:10:47.000 --> 0:10:49.720
<v Speaker 1>So it's now up to the Industrial Relations Commission what

0:10:49.720 --> 0:10:50.679
<v Speaker 1>the payrolls is going to be.

0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:55.120
<v Speaker 3>Well, the Industrial Relations Commission is arbitrating, which is why

0:10:55.120 --> 0:10:57.520
<v Speaker 3>we brought back an independent umpire. And it's important point

0:10:57.520 --> 0:10:59.640
<v Speaker 3>to make here Clinton. For twelve years, nurses didn't even

0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:00.760
<v Speaker 3>have the right for arbitration.

0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.959
<v Speaker 1>I've got more messages about nursing in particular, and Kathy's

0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:05.880
<v Speaker 1>making the point. Imagine if teachers had to pay for

0:11:05.880 --> 0:11:08.480
<v Speaker 1>parking at schools like nurses have to at hospitals. Now,

0:11:08.480 --> 0:11:10.400
<v Speaker 1>I know that's an issue for the health Miss Ryan Park,

0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:12.120
<v Speaker 1>but it does seem and I know there was special

0:11:12.160 --> 0:11:14.040
<v Speaker 1>rules drink COVID, but it does seem harsh.

0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:17.880
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, but at the same token, we do provide other

0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:21.360
<v Speaker 3>benefits for our health care workers, not just nurses as well.

0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:24.439
<v Speaker 3>And you're not going to hear from me anything other

0:11:24.480 --> 0:11:26.520
<v Speaker 3>than respect for our health care workers. We understand how

0:11:26.600 --> 0:11:28.960
<v Speaker 3>much pressure people are under right now, and we are

0:11:29.000 --> 0:11:30.720
<v Speaker 3>looking to see what everything we can do to make

0:11:30.720 --> 0:11:33.160
<v Speaker 3>sure that people are being respected at work. And that

0:11:33.200 --> 0:11:35.280
<v Speaker 3>does mean and continuing to engage with the nurses' union,

0:11:35.280 --> 0:11:36.760
<v Speaker 3>which we will do, but we're not going to Clinton.

0:11:36.800 --> 0:11:39.240
<v Speaker 3>I can't pretend that this is an easy issue to resolve.

0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:39.640
<v Speaker 2>Now.

0:11:39.679 --> 0:11:42.480
<v Speaker 1>I appreciate you coming in the studio. You've left your office.

0:11:42.760 --> 0:11:44.760
<v Speaker 1>You've been preparing the budget now for weeks. I understand

0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:46.600
<v Speaker 1>you listen to a fair bit of music while preparing

0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:49.360
<v Speaker 1>the budget. So I would have assumed it was aDNA,

0:11:49.720 --> 0:11:52.320
<v Speaker 1>But apparently it's not Adba. Apparently it's this fellow. We

0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:56.520
<v Speaker 1>can't need it, Homus Doges, life goes on home baby,

0:11:56.600 --> 0:12:00.280
<v Speaker 1>So that's Kendrick Lamar. Your staff tell me that you

0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:02.800
<v Speaker 1>listen to Kendrick Lamar while doing the numbers.

0:12:02.920 --> 0:12:05.400
<v Speaker 2>I do. He's a well I mean, he just did

0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:06.040
<v Speaker 2>the Super Bowl.

0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:07.840
<v Speaker 1>Like, can only play part of that song there because

0:12:07.840 --> 0:12:09.760
<v Speaker 1>it does go into some graphic detail a little later.

0:12:09.920 --> 0:12:11.559
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, look, Clinton, I'm not going to hide the fact

0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.439
<v Speaker 3>that I'm a hip hop fan. My first two budgets

0:12:14.600 --> 0:12:17.800
<v Speaker 3>I also have quite the hip hop soundtrack. We will

0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:21.120
<v Speaker 3>reveal the soundtrack of this budget closer to budget day.

0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:24.640
<v Speaker 3>But Kendrick Lamar is coming to Sydney. He's coming to Australia.

0:12:24.679 --> 0:12:27.560
<v Speaker 3>He's one of the world's biggest stars. He led the

0:12:27.559 --> 0:12:31.160
<v Speaker 3>super Bowl coverage super Bowl Halftime Show, which I'd strongly

0:12:31.160 --> 0:12:33.560
<v Speaker 3>recommend all your listeners if they're interested to have a

0:12:33.559 --> 0:12:36.040
<v Speaker 3>look at. So from our perspective, yes, I've been listening

0:12:36.080 --> 0:12:37.120
<v Speaker 3>to quite a lot of Kendrick Lamar.

0:12:37.160 --> 0:12:38.839
<v Speaker 1>You got me there, Daniel Lookie.

0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:39.160
<v Speaker 2>Thank you.

0:12:39.160 --> 0:12:41.080
<v Speaker 1>Hopefully you can help the nurses out in the budget.

0:12:41.120 --> 0:12:42.880
<v Speaker 1>Thanks Clinton the Treasurer, Daniel Lookie