Labor candidate slams own party’s plan to rename Maroondah Hospital

Labor’s candidate for Richmond has not held back on her opinions of some of Daniel Andrews’ key election issues.

A Labor candidate has sensationally hit out at Daniel Andrews’ commitment to rename Maroondah Hospital after Queen Elizabeth II.

The Premier has come under fire over the decision, with an online petition signed by more than 50,000 people urging him to reconsider.

And now Labor’s candidate for Richmond, Lauren O’Dwyer, has also criticised the move, blaming a lack of diversity and “lived experience”.

Ms O’Dwyer made the comments at a forum this week where she spoke alongside candidates from the Greens and Liberal Party.

Asked what her first priority would be as an MP, Ms O’Dwyer said it would be to push for an audit of all public buildings, statues and names.

Labor’s candidate for Richmond Lauren O’Dwyer has shared her stance on a number of key election issues.

“As a First Nations person, one of the things I’m looking forward to once I get into parliament, and once treaty is fully ratified, is working within those self-determined processes and working with those leaders to ensure that Maroondah Hospital is looked at as part of a broader audit with all public buildings, statues, and names,” she said.

“The reason that happened is because there is not enough lived experience and diverse voices within the parliament.”

During the one-hour forum, Ms O’Dwyer also claimed her colour had been “stolen” and Richmond’s safe injecting room had become an important place for Indigenous people to gather.

Ms O'Dwyer is a former Labor staffer.

It is understood Ms O'Dwyer has been endorsed by Mr Andrews.

“I’ve taken (my daughter) down to that injecting room several times, mostly to meet mob, because that is a traditional gathering spot … well, not traditional but it has become a gathering space for a lot of traditional owners, and we sit down, we yarn,” she said.

“Perhaps what we need to do a little bit more is educate people on what it means to gather in place. And if it does come with anti-social behaviour, what are we doing to address that?”

Labor sources said Ms O’Dwyer was referring to parkland around the North Richmond site which was a well-known significant place for Indigenous Australians.

Daniel Andrews has maintained the renaming of the hospital was appropriate. Picture: David Crosling

She also cast doubt over the Flinders St location of the government’s planned second injecting room.

“The reason a second room hasn’t been introduced yet is because drug habits have changed through the CBD through Covid and if a second room, as committed to by the current government, were to be implemented right now, it would be in the wrong location,” she said.

A government spokesman said no decision had been made regarding the injecting room’s final location.

Responding to Ms O’Dwyer’s comments on Maroondah Hospital, the spokes­man said the decision would not be reversed.

“Maroondah Hospital will be renamed as a fitting tribute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a long-standing supporter of Victoria’s healthcare system, as a mark of respect to her unwavering commitment to healthcare and our community.”

Ms O’Dwyer, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Associate Director of First Nations Foundations and a former Labor staffer, is vying to replace veteran MP Richard Wynne who will not contest the next election.

It is understood she has been endorsed by Mr Wynne and Mr Andrews.