Mr Oakeshott, who along with fellow independent MP Tony Windsor handed power to Labor, has been offered a position in cabinet.

If Mr Oakeshott takes up the post as minister for regional Australia, he can expect a call from Albury-Wodonga.

Border oncologist Dr Craig Underhill yesterday welcomed the decisions of the independents.

“I’m glad there is a government; it is a little clearer as to who we will be lobbying,” he said.

Assuming Nicola Roxon and Warren Snowdon are returned as Minister for Health and Minister for Rural and Regional Health respectively, Dr Underhill said the third target of a renewed campaign by lobbyists for the Border cancer centre would be Mr Oakeshott.

“I understand he was involved in lobbying for a cancer centre on the North Coast so I believe he will be familiar with the health and hospital fund process,” he said.

“It means there is someone more familiar with the issues and if Rob Oakeshott is in cabinet, he is someone who is based in a comparable regional centre.”

Dr Underhill said while he was pleased to hear the Labor Government would increase its investment in regional health services as part of a $1.8 billion allocation to regional Australia, the Border community could not assume it would receive funding for the cancer centre.

“We need to do our utmost to be successful in gaining what we need.

“This is bigger than cancer, there are gaps in other health services.

“But what we are starting to see addressed are the decades of chronic under-investment in regional health.”

Dr Underhill said he was hopeful the new Labor government would see funding for the Border cancer centre as “unfinished business”.

“Particu larly with the upcoming elections in Victoria and NSW, I am hoping the new health reform process will see the federal and state governments come to a 60:20:20 split in investing in new resources such as the cancer centre,” he said.

“I do worry about the process. I do worry about the independence of the health and hospital fund in processing applications.

“I worry about the states determining where they are and the danger that the Border might miss out because of the states’ own priorities, based on their political needs, rather than population needs.

“These needs must be determined by population requirements rather than political expedience.”