Natasha Griggs (Solomon, Country Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to commend the work of Northern Territory nurse, Jeff Tinsley. A few days ago, Jeff was named the 2015 Northern Territory Nurse of the Year, and I would like to offer my congratulations on behalf of my electorate.

Nursing in the Northern Territory brings with it the same challenges as everywhere else in Australia: dealing with people in difficult circumstances; maintaining an up-to-date clinical knowledge; and working in a physically and intellectually demanding role, often with unsociable hours. However, in the Northern Territory our nurses face additional challenges. The geographical isolation means that, in many cases, they often have limited backup. The language and cultural diversity of the Northern Territory, with Greek, Italian and South-East Asian communities and more than 100 Aboriginal language groups, means that nurses must develop an understanding of their patients beyond the spoken word. As I said, our nurses do a fantastic job and deserve our thanks. So, on behalf of all the people of Solomon, I say thank you to all our wonderful nurses in the Territory.

The Giles government have committed $40 million to upgrade the Royal Darwin Hospital. This is in addition to the $40 million they have contributed to the building of the Palmerston Hospital. Despite the scaremongering from Labor, work on the Palmerston Hospital is well underway. Hospitals are complex projects that cannot be built overnight. So Palmerston Hospital is being built and is well underway. (Time expired)

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