Just three days into the election campaign yet another federal candidate has dropped out of the race to form government.

After three Liberal candidates in Victorian seats stepped aside after discovering they are unlikely to be eligible for parliament, a star candidate for the opposition also felt compelled to call it a day, albeit for different reasons.

Former Labor minister Melissa Parke has withdrawn from the election campaign in the Western Australian seat of Curtin over her pro-Palestine views and fears it may become a distraction from the opposition’s campaign.

On Friday, Liberal candidates from the Victorian seats of Lalor, Wills and Cooper pulled out after discovering they were likely ineligible for parliament due to section 44 problems.

Kate Oski, the candidate for Lalor, and Vaishali Ghosh, the candidate for Wills backed out over dual citizenship issues, while Helen Jackson, the candidate for Cooper, is likely to be dumped because she is an employee of Australia Post.

This is the first election in which candidates are required by the Australian Electoral Commission to submit a qualification checklist relating to section 44 of the Constitution after the 45th parliament was plagued by disqualification issues.

Mr Morrison told a press conference on Saturday afternoon that Section 44 was still “complicated”, but said the three candidates were not running in “highly contested seats”.

“What this demonstrates is just the party doing its job,” he said.

“They identified the problem and they fixed it. And I’m pleased they have done it before the close of rolls.”

Meanwhile, shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Ms Parke had done the right thing in standing aside because her views did not represent his party’s views.

“Curtin wasn’t a seat, while we fight for every vote and seat, wasn’t a seat we were expecting to win,” he told ABC television.

The blue-ribbon seat of Curtin was previously held by retiring Liberal Julie Bishop.

On the other side of the country, the focus of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Labor rival Bill Shorten is firmly on the health of Australians.

On Saturday, both leaders remained in NSW for the third day of campaigning with exactly five weeks until polling day.

Mr Morrison promised the coalition would spend an extra $42 million on mental health services for young and indigenous Australians, if it wins the May 18 poll.

That comes as Labor is pledging to spend $8.6 million giving new life to a sun protection awareness campaign, in hopes of curbing the number of Australians who experience sun cancer.

The coalition has remained tight-lipped about where Mr Morrison will formally announce his party’s mental health plans, in a bid to avoid protesters or a clash with Labor’s plans.

There is also speculation the prime minister will take a trip to Randwick racecourse on Saturday afternoon where the seemingly unstoppable Winx will attempt a 33rd straight win before retiring.

Mr Shorten will make his commitment to a renewed Slip, Slop, Slap campaign on the Central Coast.

Chair of Cancer Council Australia’s Public Health Committee, Anita Dessaix, welcomed the announcement, saying Australia is the world’s skin cancer capital, yet it was one of our most preventable cancers.

“Evidence shows prevention is by far the most effective investment in reducing skin cancer incidence, mortality and costs,” Ms Dessaix said in a statement.

“The federal opposition’s $8.6 million plan to conduct a national sun protection awareness campaign over two years has great potential to reduce the burden of skin cancer in Australia.”

-AAP