Union poll backs nurses’ political party plan

Western Australian nurses and midwives are overwhelmingly backing plans to form a state political party in the latest escalation of a bitter wages feud between their union and the WA government.

Australian Nursing Federation polling on Friday morning showed nearly 80 per cent support among its 40,000-strong member base to form its own political party to contest Upper House seats at the 2025 WA election.

The move has been spurred by a bitter feud between the ANF and state government over wages, with the state refusing the union’s years-long campaign for a 5 per cent wages increase and the union refusing to budge on the 3 per cent plus $3000 cost of living payment offer.

ANF state secretary Janet Reah said the union was eyeing three Upper House seats should it decide to contest the 2025 election.

“The heavy fines and basically being vilified for our concern for our patients has led us to this point where we're looking at other options to go forward,” she said.

“We have over 40,000 members in Western Australia and each of those members has a family or friends that vote, so we believe this will transfer well into getting our candidates into parliament.

“We've got bureaucrats running the health portfolio, they have no idea what it's like to work on the floor day after day.”

Other issues behind the poll include staff burnout from working double and triple shifts and a desire to attract local nurses who have quit due to conditions back into the workforce.

The union made a similar move in 2005 but was stopped in its tracks when the election was called early.

Member polling is expected to run over the weekend and will be followed by a poll to better understand public support.