Monday, April 7, 2007

** Thunder Bay, Ontario medics to settle labour contract?

** Queensland, Australia’s ambulance service will not face scrutiny, minister says

CANADA NEWS

** Thunder Bay, Ontario paramedics are apparently close to settling their labour contract. The Chronicle Journal (Jim Kelley/May 4) said the 66 Superior North EMS medics were given the tentative settlement to peruse late last week. Exact details of the deal are being kept under wraps. Practitioners have been without a contract since April 1.

AUSTRALIA NEWS

** Queensland’s Emergency Services Minister will not be investigating the state ambulance service. That is the word from ABC (May 6) which said Pat Purcell has demurred after calls from Opposition spokesman Ted Malone saying the service is in crisis. Malone called for an independent inquiry into poor staff morale and why response times continue to lengthen. Purcell dismissed the concern, saying a population boom is fuelling most of the problems.