Western Australia has launched a bold attempt to ‘steal’ 31,000 British doctors, police officers and teachers to work in the country Down Under.
In a nod to the Ten Pound Poms scheme introduced after the Second World War, a delegation of government and industry officials will visit the UK later this month to poach workers to fill more than 31,000 jobs.
They also prey on miners, plumbers, mechanics and construction workers.
They promise hard-working Brits they can “have it all” and boast that Britain’s energy bill – up to £2,600 this year – will cost Australia almost half, with the saving being 183 pints of beer, 110 roasts or 500 jugs of beer. spend jam.
Police and Defense Secretary Paul Papalia also highlighted Western Australia’s “wine regions”, “coral reefs” and “culinary scene”.
Are you a Brit who has moved to Australia? What was your experience? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
Western Australia has launched a bold attempt to ‘steal’ 31,000 British doctors, police officers and teachers to work in the country Down Under.
Police and Defense Industries Minister Paul Papalia (pictured with Rafael Nadal, left, in 2020) highlighted Western Australia’s “wine regions”, “coral reefs” and “culinary scene”.
He said: “Our wages are higher and our cost of living is lower. Our health care system is world class. You will be taken care of.
“Many of our ancestors were sent to Australia from Britain as prisoners. Now it would be a crime not to take the step.’
However, as the UK public sector faces staff shortages, concerns have been raised about the plan.
Steve Brine MP, chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, said: “Of course every country has the right to import health workers – as we do in the UK from other countries – but there is nothing to say we people aren’t going to have to.’
Another committee member, Tory MP Paul Bristow, said Australians’ choice of the word ‘steal’ was ‘unfortunate’, adding: ‘We need to demonstrate the benefits of working in the UK to help them stay.
“It shows we need to redouble our efforts to recruit new nurses and doctors and demonstrate the benefits of a career in the UK.”
Steve Hartshorn, national president of the Police Federation, said: “We need every officer we have in this time of crisis.”
He added, ‘The impact of the departure of these experienced and trained officers will also affect the ability of newcomers to the service to learn and develop and provide the best possible service to the public.’
The association has warned that up to nine police officers are already applying every day for a transfer to a police force on the other side of the world.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Education Select Committee, Robin Walker, said the plan showed us “competing” with the global market.
He said: “Obviously we have to worry about losing good teachers trained in the English system – the best way to deal with that is to make it attractive to stay.”
It comes as the UK public sector faces severe staff shortages and crippling strikes.
The NHS faces a shortage of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives.
The British Medical Association announced before Christmas that a third of would-be doctors plan to leave the UK – with the majority choosing Australia or New Zealand.
Professor Phil Banfield, Chairman of the Board of the British Medical Association, said the NHS was “dangerously exposed to such tactics from other countries at a time when doctors and medical staff worldwide are in trouble”.
Nuffield Trust Senior Fellow Dr. Billy Palmer said there was a “risk it could go further” with 900 doctors moving to Australia to practice in May 2022 alone.
The NHS faces a shortage of 12,000 hospital doctors and more than 50,000 nurses and midwives amid crippling strikes. Pictured: A nurse holds a poster as a member of the Royal College of Nursing’s poster line outside St Thomas’ Hospital in Westminster February 6
Steve Brine MP (pictured), chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Select Committee, said: “Of course every country has the right to import health workers – as we do in the UK from elsewhere – but there is nothing to to say that we have people to do it. go’
Australia has a long history of immigrants from Europe as well as the post-war program called Ten Pound Poms which led to Britons moving to the other side of the world, including these women who were employees of a Glasgow electricity company who posted them there in 1947. and started a new life in the company’s counter factory near Adelaide
GMB National Secretary Rachel Harrison said: “It’s no wonder NHS staff are tempted to stay with another health service that pays better.
The UK government has allowed wages to fall behind for NHS workers, a major factor in a record 133,000 healthcare vacancies and the failure to meet performance standards.
“If ministers want to preserve healthcare’s best asset – the workforce – they need to start talking about wages now.”
The Department of Health said the majority of UK-trained doctors and nurses work in the NHS.
The delegation will arrive on February 25 and will host events and visit job fairs in London, Edinburgh, Bristol and Dublin to bring the Australian lifestyle to British and Irish workers.
The new campaign focuses on the attractiveness of the lifestyle and promises: “The culinary scene is world class, there are lots of little bars, we have pubs and live music and lots of theatre.”
She even boasted that the UK-Australia trade deal, which comes into effect this year, will make relocating workers even easier.
Are you a Brit who has moved to Australia? What was your experience? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
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Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
