More nurses, better mental health care central to Michael Daley’s ALP campaign launch

Labor will launch its state election campaign today, with leader Michael Daley set to unveil a $250 million package to tackle mental health, mandate nurse-to-patient ratios, and offer more support to police.

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Labor leader Michael Daley will urge voters to “choose a better way”, declaring an end to governments run by the “top end of town”.

The pledge comes ahead of Labor’s campaign launch in Sydney today, with Mr Daley unveiling a $250 million package to tackle mental health, including banning gay conversion therapy, introducing nurse-to-patient ratios and offering more support to police.

Following his showdown with 2GB talkback host Alan Jones, Mr Daley said voters were tired of being ignored.

Opposition Leader Michael Daley will launch Labor’s State Election campaign today. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“People in this state really want a government they can look up to,” he said. “If I got any feedback, it was ‘thanks for sticking up for us’.

“No one can say life is better than it was eight years ago. We have a better way. We have plans in place to make your life better.”

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Mr Daley will launch Labor’s campaign at Revesby Workers’ club in the marginal Liberal-held seat of East Hills, delivering a keynote address to more than 700 members.

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten will join Mr Daley, along with former Labor premiers Bob Carr, Kristina ­Keneally and Barry Unsworth.

The party needs 13 seats to govern outright, and is counting on voter weariness with bungled construction projects, and lack of action on the environment and climate change, to swing support.

Under the proposed nurse-to-patient ratio, one nurse will be put in charge of four mental health patients during the day and seven patients at night. Patients needing acute care would be supervised one-on-one or with one other patient, with supervisory nurses in charge on every shift.

Labor is promising thousands of extra nurses and midwives to deliver mandated nurse-to-patient ratios.

The policy expands on plans to provide more than 5500 nurses and midwives to deliver mandated nurse-to-patient ratios in emergency, maternity, medical, surgical and paediatric wards.

Labor will also hire more psychologists and mental health workers in rural and ­regional NSW, open more mental health beds, deliver 450 additional counsellors, psychologists and student support officers to all high schools, and employ 50 mental health workers in the bush.

Mental health training would be given to school principals and senior staff to better assist students and colleagues, while a mental health charter would be established.

Health spokesman Walt Secord said: “Nurse-to-patient ratios will improve patient care. It will also help nurses and reassure families their loved ones are getting the best possible care.”