Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma decries ‘politicking’ over Medicare clinics

Federal Labor candidates have started a petition for Medicare clinics in Sorell and Burnie, however the state health minister has slammed the move. Here’s why.

Labor MP for Lyons Rebecca White speaks to the media at Bridgewater on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

Calls from Labor candidates for Medicare clinics in Sorell and Burnie were “shameless politicking” to set the scene for election campaign announcements, the Tasmanian Health Minister says.

Rebecca White in Lyons and Anne Urquhart in Braddon are campaigning for new Medicare Local clinics to be opened in Sorell and Burnie.

But state Health Minister Jacquie Petrusma says nobody should be fooled.

Minister Jacquie Petrusma. New Tasmanian government cabinet swearing in at government house in Hobart. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“You don’t start a petition off during an election campaign unless you know the end result,” she said.

“It is very obvious that they are going to announce an Urgent Care Clinic in Sorell, because there’s no way you’d start off a petition to get everyone’s hopes up to then dash it and say, sorry I could not deliver.

“We have been calling, as a state government for an urgent care clinic to be delivered in Sorrel, as well as Burnie and a few other locations around the state, for over a year.

“The fact that Rebecca White has started this petition off. Anne Urquhart has started off a petition, we all know that there’s going to be an announcement during the election campaign.”

Ms White was out in the electorate on Wednesday, soliciting support for the clinic plans.

“In just over a week, my petition for a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic for the Sorell community has gained strong support with over 1300 signatures,” she said.

“The community knows that a free walk-in GP clinic in the Sorell area would take pressure off local GPs and our emergency departments, while providing local treatment.

“At the last election, the Albanese Labor Government committed to opening 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, but we’ve now opened 87 including five here in Tasmania.

“I have already spoken to many people from Orford to Midway Point and from Carlton Beach to the Tasman Peninsula and there is overwhelmingly strong support for us to make this happen.”

A federal election is expected to be called in the next few weeks. April 5 and 12 are considered the most likely dates for the poll.