But isn’t it all relative? Because we are a small population, we also don’t need to spend as much to support a properly funded health service.

Not necessarily. Here’s a $400k position for a doctor that couldn’t find anybody for two years, because it was too remote.

If your tax rates are comparable to other nations, and the health budget is comparable, wouldn’t you be able to afford to pay your nurses a comparable amount to other nations too?

Only assuming 1. the nurses/ doctors/ others don’t fly over the ditch where they can almost instantly double the income and 2. That we don’t have a supply of lower-paid workers from other countries.