Kristy has waited for ‘urgent’ surgery since 2022, a painful symbol of Tasmania’s dire health crisis

The state of the health system has dominated Tasmania’s election, with parties rushing to offer policies they hope will persuade voters. Photograph: [email protected]/The Guardian

When Kristy Wagg had her daughter in 2016 it was a difficult birth – she had a third-degree perineal tear and needed surgery to recover.

“This is where things take a turn,” the 40-year-old Launceston woman said.