Nicola Roxon (Gellibrand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Health and Ageing) Share this | Hansard source

Yes, we are happy to absolutely stand by the fact that clinicians should be involved in the management of Local Hospital Networks. The shadow minister would be aware that we have expressed a preference that at all times the best person for the job be chosen. Not at all times will that be a local clinician but many times it will. I do note that there is an exception in this for Victoria, which has a strict requirement that they have used that no local clinician employed in a Local Hospital Network would be then on their boards. We are not seeking to have Victoria change that arrangement—nor, it seems, any of the professional groups—but we would obviously keep an eye on that. But for an arrangement that it seems the community and health professionals have accepted, we understand that they have made that decision to avoid conflicts of interest. We think that that can be provided in a number of different ways just by following proper corporate governance to ensure that conflicts of interest do not occur and we are absolutely determined that clinicians should have a very significant role in the management of Local Hospital Networks.

The Minister for Ageing has just provided the total number of 764 nurses—that is inclusive of the 150 in aged care.

See this speech in context