Labor candidate Peter Lockwood withdraws from election race

A LABOR state party candidate has withdrawn from the election race after revelations he allegedly pushed and assaulted an internal party rival and verbally abused a local councillor were unearthed.

Peter Lockwood is expected to withdraw from the election race. Picture: Supplied

A LABOR candidate has pulled out of the state election race after revelations he allegedly pushed and assaulted an internal party rival and called a local councillor a “c...” were unearthed.

Labor’s Bayswater candidate Peter Lockwood was alleged to have struck party colleague Adam Gill following a local council meeting.

Mr Lockwood was Knox Council Mayor and Mr Gill a councillor at the time of the incident in 2015. The alleged attack occurred inside the council chamber at the end of a public meeting.

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In another incident he allegedly called another councillor a “c...” during a disagreement on a council planning matter.

A Labor source confirmed Mr Lockwood withdrew his nomination last night as the Herald Sun was investigating several claims about his behaviour.

In a statement this morning, Mr Lockwood said he was withdrawing from the race “with sadness”.

“Due to the need to spend time with my grandchildren I have withdrawn from the 2018 state election,” he said on Facebook.

“A chronic health condition has flared up and I cannot devote the time required to the campaign, or to the job of an MP should I have been elected.”

He is the second Labor candidate to pull out in as many days after Justin Mammarella withdrew from Labor’s Melton campaign, citing the ill health of a family member.

Peter Lockwood. Picture: Valeriu Campan

His father Robert Mammarella is believed to have appeared at an anti-corruption hearing over an alleged Labor printing rort.

An email sent by Knox Councillor Mr Gill, seen by the Herald Sun, to all councillors shortly after the alleged attack said Mr Lockwood had shown a “complete lack of control” which made him unfit for public office.

“Your physical assault, pushing and punching a councillor because that councillor raised an issue in a democratic forum of a council meeting is also bad governance,” Mr Gill claimed.

“It was an attack not only on me as an individual, but on me as a democratically elected official and on the democratic process itself.”

“Let’s be clear, using physical violence in democratic chamber makes you unfit for office,” the email alleged.

Mr Lockwood beat Mr Gill for Labor preselections to contest Bayswater at next month’s state election.

Mr Gill told the Herald Sun today: “Whoever sent in my email breached my trust. It was a long time ago and we’ve all moved on since then.”

Earlier in 2015, Mr Lockwood allegedly called then Knox Councillor Karin Orpen a “c...” during a disagreement the pair were having over building height limits in the planning scheme.

Ms Orpen claimed he used the derogatory term when all other Knox Councillors and some council staff were present.

It is understood the dispute between Mr Lockwood and Ms Orpen related to a change in council policy which prevented Ms Orpen getting a portrait to recognise her 20 years of service.

Mr Lockwood was Bayswater MP from 2002 to 2006. He was unseated by Liberal Heidi Victoria who has held the seat since 2006.

Liberal MP Tim Smith said: “This is more double standards from the Premier. Daniel Andrews has cut loose two Labor candidates in two days but continues to dig in his heels defending six of his ministers under police investigation from the Fraud and Extortion squad.”

The Labor Party and Mr Lockwood have been contacted for comment.

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