Kiwi doctors stand with Queensland colleagues #qldpol #smoqld #keepourdoctors
Senior New Zealand doctors are standing in solidarity with their Queensland counterparts who are involved in a bitter contract dispute.
Local doctors have been threatening to resign en masse if the state government tries to force them to sign new individual contracts, which they say are unfair.
Ian Powell from New Zealand’s Association of Salaried Medical Specialists is in Australia at the moment where he says it is being hotly discussed.
“There’s certainly solidarity from doctors in other states in Australia and from New Zealand, both senior doctors represented by ourselves and resident doctors in training represented by the Resident Doctors Association.”
The Queensland government says it is prepared to hire foreign and interstate doctors to fill positions, but Mr Powell advises New Zealanders to stay well away.