Queensland will be 14,000 nurses short in seven years with Australian nurses being lured overseas by higher wages.

Graduate nurses working in the United States can earn from $A50,000 and in Canada from $A51,790.

The equivalent Queensland Health rate is $46,628. These rates do not include overtime or regional allowances available to Queensland-employed nurses.
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IMMIGRATION laws should be relaxed to allow foreign semi-skilled workers to fill shortages, says Wal King, chief executive of construction giant Leighton Holdings.

The controversial scheme, known as 457 visas, for temporarily admitting skilled workers provided skilled workers, he said, but did not tackle the national shortage of semi-skilled workers such as truck drivers.
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Minister for immigration and citizenship Chris Evans talks to Business Spectator’s Isabelle Oderberg about:

• Whether the tough financial climate will lead to a cut-back in immigration
• Why he is looking at adjusting the skills list for those wanting to come to Australia on a skilled migrant visa
• The issues faced by recent graduates from overseas that want to stay in Australia as skilled migrants but are disadvantaged by poor English language skill

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