Western Australia has begun a daring campaign to ‘steal’ 31,000 British physicians, police officers, and teachers for employment in Down Under.
In a throwback to the “Ten Pound Poms” program implemented during World War II, a delegation of government and industry executives will travel to the United Kingdom later this month to recruit workers to fill more than 31,000 openings.
They are also looking for miners, plumbers, mechanics, and construction workers.
They claim that hard-working Britons will be able to ‘have it all’ and that the UK’s energy expenses – up to £2,600 this year – will cost almost half in Australia, allowing them to purchase 183 pints of beer, 110 roast meals, or 500 jars of Marmite with the savings.
Paul Papalia, minister of the police and the defense sector, also emphasized Western Australia’s wine regions, coral reefs, and gourmet scene.
Are you an immigrant from Britain to Australia? What was your encounter like? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
He stated, “Our wages are higher and our living expenses are lower.” Our health care system is unparalleled. You will be provided for.
Many of our ancestors were transported as prisoners from the United Kingdom to Australia. Now, it would be unethical not to take action.’
The initiative, however, has been viewed with skepticism because the public sector in the United Kingdom is experiencing staff shortages.
Steve Brine, chairman of the health and social care select committee in the House of Commons, stated, “Every country has the right to import health care personnel, as we do in the United Kingdom, but there’s no requirement that our people leave.”
Another committee member, Conservative MP Paul Bristow, described the Australians’ choice of the word “steal” as “unfortunate,” adding, “We must illustrate the benefits of working in the United Kingdom to encourage people to remain.”
It demonstrates that we need to redouble our efforts to recruit new nurses and doctors and to highlight the advantages of a career in the United Kingdom.
Steve Hartshorn, national leader of the Police Federation, stated, “In this time of crisis, we need every officer we have.”
He continued, “The impact of these experienced and well-trained officers leaving will also have an effect on the ability of fresher officers to learn and grow and to offer the greatest possible service to the public.”
The Federation issued a warning that as many as nine police officers a day are filing transfer requests to a police department on the opposite side of the planet.
In the meantime, the chair of the education select committee, Robin Walker MP, stated that the proposal proves that we are in “competition” on the worldwide market.
Clearly, we should be concerned about the departure of any competent teachers trained in the English system, and the best way to solve this is by making it appealing for them to remain, he stated.
It occurs at a time when the British public sector is experiencing significant staff shortages and debilitating strikes.
The National Health Service faces shortages of 12,000 hospital doctors and over 50,000 nurses and midwives.
Before Christmas, the British Medical Association disclosed that one-third of junior doctors intend to leave the United Kingdom, with the majority preferring Australia or New Zealand.
Professor Phil Banfield, chair of the British Medical Association council, stated that the NHS is “very vulnerable to these types of foreign methods at a time when doctors and healthcare workers are in desperate short supply worldwide.”
Dr. Billy Palmer, a senior fellow at the Nuffield Trust, stated that there is a “chance it will spiral further” with 900 physicians moving to Australia to practice in May 2022 alone.
Rachel Harrison, national secretary of the GMB, stated, “It’s no wonder NHS employees are enticed to go for a better-paying health provider.”
The government of the United Kingdom has allowed the wages of NHS employees to fall behind, which is a major contributor to the health service’s record 133,000 vacancies and unmet performance criteria.
If Ministers wish to keep the greatest asset of the health care – the employees – they must discuss compensation immediately.
According to the Department of Health, the majority of UK-trained physicians and nurses are employed by the NHS.
Arriving on February 25, the team will host events and attend job fairs in London, Edinburgh, Bristol, and Dublin to promote the Australian way of life to British and Irish employees.
The new pitch emphasizes the lifestyle attraction, claiming, “The food scene is world-class, the little bars are abundant, and there are pubs with live music and theater.”
It claimed that the UK-Australia trade agreement, which enters into force this year, will facilitate the movement of employees even more.
Are you an immigrant from Britain to Australia? What was your encounter like? Email rory.tingle@mailonline.co.uk
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