NSW Labor has preselected local small business owner and engineer Michael Quinnell to contest the state seat of Willoughby at the upcoming March 2027 NSW State Election.

A father of three who owns and operates a boutique infrastructure advisory firm, Quinnell is a familiar face across the local sporting community, serving as registrar of the St. Pius X College Cricket Club. His candidacy brings an engineering and commercial focus to the contest, with Labor pitching his balance of business management and grassroots community involvement to Lower North Shore families.

The endorsement sets the stage for an early campaign in Willoughby, a historic blue-ribbon electorate that has traditionally favoured the Liberal Party. With the Minns Government entering the second half of its four-year term, the party is moving early to establish its local presence across Chatswood, Artarmon, Northbridge, and Castle Cove.

Announcing the preselection, Premier Chris Minns framed Quinnell as a dedicated local representative equipped to champion the electorate’s service and planning priorities.

“Michael Quinnell would be an incredibly hardworking and committed advocate for Willoughby,” Premier Minns said. “Michael is a long-time North Shore local who cares deeply about the Willoughby community. He knows what it means to run a business, raise a family and volunteer in his local community. He understands that people want their local member to listen, work hard and get things done.”

“Our Government has been rebuilding essential services across Willoughby, from school upgrades at Cammeray to more nurses at Royal North Shore. There’s a lot more work to do, and Michael is exactly the kind of experienced, hardworking grassroots advocate to help deliver real solutions for the people of Willoughby.”

Labor’s policy platform for the electorate will lean heavily on public sector investment, notably within healthcare and regional infrastructure. The Minns’ Government highlighted the recruitment of more than 1,200 nurses, 183 doctors, 155 allied health professionals, and 30 paramedics across the Northern Sydney Local Health District, as well as the rollout of mandated safe staffing levels inside the Royal North Shore Hospital Emergency Department.

Education and public open space also feature in the campaign narrative. The Government cited the $7 million capital investment delivering four permanent classrooms at Cammeray Public School, alongside moves to permanently protect the historic Cammeray Golf Course as dedicated public green space and advance broader parkland planning across the Lower North Shore.

On transport, the ongoing delivery of the Warringah Freeway upgrade and the recent opening of the City and Southwest Metro—connecting key hubs like Chatswood and Crows Nest directly through to Sydenham—remain central planks in the state’s regional infrastructure messaging. The Government also highlighted an additional $200 million in funding over ten years to strengthen the independence and operations of NSW integrity bodies, including the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).

Quinnell said his campaign would focus on ensuring Lower North Shore residents secure direct advocacy within the state government.

“I am grateful for this opportunity to be the Labor candidate for Willoughby. For too long, Willoughby hasn’t had a seat at the table,” Quinnell said.

“This is an active, passionate community—it deserves an MP who will fight for the issues that matter to them. The Minns Labor Government is delivering real, practical solutions and rebuilding essential services, like new classrooms at Cammeray and more nurses at Royal North Shore. From Crows Nest to Castle Cove, I am going to work every day to listen to the needs and aspirations of the Willoughby community.”

With the state poll scheduled for late March 2027, the early candidacy announcement signals that both major parties are preparing for a spirited debate over infrastructure bottlenecks, local school capacity, and hospital resources across Sydney’s North Shore.