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🇦🇺 Australia /Health & Science

Sydney Mother Challenges Liberals for Manly Seat After Son’s Hospital Death

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Elouise Massa will contest Sydney’s Manly seat as an independent after Liberal incumbent James Griffin decided not to seek re-election.
  • Massa became a prominent community advocate after her son Joe died in 2024 and a review found multiple failures in his treatment at Northern Beaches Hospital.
  • Her campaign helped return the hospital to public ownership and led to reforms including “Joe’s Law,” which bans future public-private partnerships in major hospitals.

Elouise Massa is taking her campaign for change into politics, announcing that she will contest the Manly seat as an independent at the March election. Her decision follows Liberal frontbencher James Griffin’s announcement that he will not seek re-election in the northern beaches seat.

Massa became a prominent local figure after the death of her son Joe in 2024. A review found multiple failures in the treatment of the two-year-old at Northern Beaches Hospital. Massa and her family then led a campaign to transfer the hospital to public ownership and establish a new system allowing families to escalate concerns about a child’s care.

I am not the same person I was before Joe died.

· Elouise MassaMassa described how her son’s death shaped her decision to enter politics.

The campaign also produced “Joe’s Law,” which bans future public-private partnerships in major hospitals. Northern Beaches Hospital officially returned to public ownership in April.

Creating meaningful change has become a vocation.

· Elouise MassaShe explained why she is moving from community advocacy into electoral politics.

Massa said the experience had changed her life. “I am not the same person I was before Joe died,” she said. “Creating meaningful change has become a vocation.” She described the campaign as her way of thanking the community for supporting her and her husband, Danny.

The former journalist said people had stopped her in the street and told her to “keep going.” She said she wanted to take the community’s voice to parliament and campaign on healthcare, housing, transport, the environment, equality and integrity.

This is how I want to keep going, by listening, discerning, and taking our community's voice to parliament.

· Elouise MassaMassa outlined her approach to representing the Manly community.

The Liberals have held Manly for almost 20 years but have not yet announced a candidate to replace Griffin. Independent candidates recently won the neighbouring seats of Pittwater and Wakehurst, while independent Zali Steggall represents the wider Manly area federally through Warringah. Massa said her experience had shown her what happens when nobody is held accountable and when communities demand better.

I've seen what happens when nobody is held accountable and I've seen what can happen when a community demands better.

· Elouise MassaShe framed her campaign around accountability and community pressure.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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