Federal election 2025: Ali France pleads for Qld specialist cancer centre

Ali France has called on David Crisafulli to push ahead with a specialist cancer centre she says would have improved outcomes for her late son.

Ali France with late son Henry

“Dutton Slayer” Ali France has called on Premier David Crisafulli to push ahead with a specialist cancer centre she says would have improved outcomes for her late son.

Henry France died at 19 last year after an 18-month battle with leukaemia, during which time he gave his blessing for her to run against Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for the third time.

Ms France said Henry was sharing wards in Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital while immunocompromised because of a shortage of beds.

“We non-stop talked to the nurses and doctors about that new cancer hospital starting this year,” she said.

“The whole system was so under pressure, those families who are in there and those people caring for cancer patients”

The Sangster review recently revealed the cancer centre, which would offer 150 beds for proton therapy, had blown out to $1.8bn and its completion would be delayed from 2028 by at least three years.

It recommended the centre be reconsidered and that a business case be developed, as well as a review into statewide cancer services infrastructure to determine workforce and where the demand existed.

Premier David Crisafulli (right) with Health Minister Tim Nicholls

The government is yet to make its decision on how the cancer centre would proceed, but Ms France said she wanted to discuss it with Premier David Crisafulli and Health Minister Tim Nicholls about it.

“I hope he changes his mind, and I’m willing to have just a nice, casual conversation about it, but you (the government) are putting those lives at risk,” she said.

A spokesperson for Mr Nicholls said the hospital expansion review was a rescue plan to make sure the cancer centre was built.

The spokesperson said the project was previously underfunded, poorly planned and would have faced extensive delays anyway.

Ms France said election night had been emotional for herself and her son Zac, who not only lost his brother but also his father Clive to cancer within months of each other.

Henry backed her during her 2022 election night loss, and after a transplant relapse she questioned whether she should run for the third time.

“He kept on saying ‘no Mum, I will not be the reason you don’t win Dickson.’

“’Don’t ever make me be an excuse for you not doing important things.’”

While she eventually found strength representing disability after losing her leg in 2011, from saving Zac from an out-of-control car, her recovery was completely different to losing Henry to cancer.

“I think I learned to manage and thrive having lost my leg,” Ms France said.

“I will never learn to manage losing a child, it just won’t ever happen.”

Originally published as Federal election 2025: Ali France pleads for Qld specialist cancer centre