The ACT's Health Minister has said the government was working to give health staff a generous wage increase and they would also be paid a cost-of-living payment of $1250.
Rachel Stephen-Smith rejected a motion put forward from the opposition calling on the government to explore bonus payments and develop a retention strategy for frontline health workers.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the government was working to finalise enterprise bargaining negotiations with health staff.
She said while other states had offered bonuses to health staff the bonus did not "even come close" to closing the gap between the wages in that state and what was offered in the ACT.
But some health staff, including radiographers and radiation therapists have taken part in industrial action over recent weeks saying the government has failed to offer them better pay or conditions on par with other states.
Opposition health spokeswoman Leanne Castley cited the resignation of more than 1300 staff over two years when she moved the motion in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.
Ms Castley said what the government was doing to retain staff was clearly not working.
But the Health Minister said while resignations had been higher over recent years this was expected and Canberra Health Services had been able to employ more staff.
Ms Stephen-Smith said more resignations were expected following the COVID pandemic and this has been the case across the country.
She said while 11 per cent of staff had resigned from Canberra Health Services last year there was a recruitment rate of 16.8 per cent.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the government had developed a workforce strategy and there was also a wellbeing strategy for staff.
She also pointed to budget investments for more staff and the Canberra Hospital expansion.
Ms Stephen-Smith hit out at Ms Castley and the Liberals, saying the party had no health policy.
"[Ms Castley] ignores every single thing that the government has done and is doing and will continue to do," she said.
