Labor announces candidates for Fisher and Fairfax. Focus on health

Labor has revealed its candidates for the Sunshine Coast seats of Fisher and Fairfax in the lead-up to the next federal election, with the party targeting improved health services as a key campaign focus. Morrison Lakey, a lifelong Sunshine Coast local and former electorate officer for former Member for Nicklin Rob Skelton, has been named as Labor’s federal candidate for Fisher, while Naomi McQueen will stand for Fairfax.

If the Albanese Labor Government is re-elected, the party plans to open two new Medicare Urgent Care Clinics on the Sunshine Coast, in Buderim and Caloundra, as part of a broader $644 million commitment to establish 50 additional clinics nationwide. The proposal aims to offer fully bulk-billed urgent care for non-life-threatening conditions, operating seven days a week for extended hours. Labor says the clinics would begin operating in the 2025–26 financial year.

Party officials note that the clinics will help relieve strain on the Sunshine Coast University Hospital, which recorded 26,814 non-urgent and semi-urgent presentations in 2023–24. Around one-third of patients at existing Urgent Care Clinics nationwide are under 15 years old. Labor has delivered 87 clinics so far, surpassing its initial goal of 50, and estimates around two million Australians will seek treatment at these sites each year.

Ms McQueen believes the plan will benefit a broad cross-section of the community. “This will provide the free urgent care you need, fully bulk billed, without waiting hours in a busy hospital emergency department,” she said.

Mr Lakey, who has a background in hospitality, the legal sector, and public service, emphasised the importance of strong local representation in Fisher. “I’m proud to be Labor’s new candidate in Fisher,” he said. “Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are a Labor initiative because we believe in Medicare and in fully bulk billed free urgent care, where and when you need it.”

Fisher is currently held by the LNP with an 8.7% margin. 

Mr Lakey and Ms McQueen say the proposed clinics form part of Labor’s broader effort to strengthen Medicare and manage cost-of-living pressures. They also emphasise that cost-of-living relief remains a priority for the Albanese Government. According to the candidates, ensuring residents only need their Medicare card, not their credit card, is central to making healthcare more accessible and affordable on the Sunshine Coast. 

The date for the federal election has not yet been announced.

Labor’s candidate for Fairfax, Naomi McQueen

Labor’s candidate for Fisher, Morrison Lakey