A week before the Stafford byelection in Queensland, the state’s major political parties intensify campaigning by focusing on health policy and hospital funding. According to reporting across multiple outlets, party representatives trade criticism and counter-claims as they seek to appeal to voters’ concerns about healthcare services. The campaign centres on proposed or existing commitments relating to hospitals and broader health delivery, with each side using the election period to highlight perceived differences in priorities and funding levels. The coverage characterises the final stretch before polling as a contest largely driven by health-related messaging, including policy disputes and attacks framed around what each party would do to improve or maintain hospital capacity and care. While the reports differ little in describing the overall direction of the campaign, they agree that health is the dominant issue in the lead-up to the byelection, and that the parties’ exchanges are part of a broader effort to secure support as Election Day approaches.