To The Honorable Ted Baillieu MLC, Premier of Victoria
This Petition of concerned residents of Victoria, whom you represent, draws to your attention that:
• We expect you, as Premier of Victoria, to facilitate fair negotiations for a new agreement for nurses and midwives in an expeditious manner; and
• We support nurse to patient ratios and understand and support the need for more nurses and midwives, and oppose any proposition that health services should be able to reduce nursing and midwifery positions or hours; and
• We oppose the replacement of qualified nurses and midwives with unregistered nursing assistants.
The petitioners therefore request that you:
1. Treat Victorian nurses and midwives with the respect that the Victorian Community expects; and
2. Negotiate with the bargaining representatives of Victorian nurses and midwives without any threat to the continued operation and improvement of nurse/midwife to patient ratios in their current form.