Campaigner Elouise Massa, who was instrumental in the State Government’s early buyback of Northern Beaches Hospital, will run in the next State Election as an independent for the seat of Manly.
Ms Massa, whose son Joe died in September 2024 after failings by the hospital’s emergency department, said she was running to take the community’s voice directly into Parliament.
The North Balgowlah resident is a former broadcast journalist who runs public relations firm Ardent Communications with husband Danny. She gave birth to their fourth child just three and a half months ago, and told Peninsula Living that once the hospital handover occurred in April, she needed to reflect on where to take her campaigning energy. “I’ve got a lot of fire. I’m not that person I was before Joe died. Creating meaningful change has become a vocation. As a person, I’m called to service.”
Former private operator Healthscope was forced to hand back the public side of the hospital when the Massa campaign exposed operational failings, and the State Government passed a law to ban public private hospital partnerships. The Massa’s advocacy also resulted in the ‘Raise It’ campaign, which encourages members of the public to call a special number if they feel their concerns are not being answered by hospital staff.
“People told me to keep going,” Ms Massa told PL. “I owe it to the community. It’s my way of saying thank you for backing Danny and I through our campaigns. They need an independent voice.”
The seat of Manly has been held for a decade by Liberal James Griffin, who announced he will retire and not contest the March State Election. The strongest challenger against Mr Griffin in the 2023 State Election was Independent Joeline Hackman, with a 7.6% swing against the incumbent.
Ms Massa’s campaign will focus on protecting safe access to public healthcare, easing cost-of-living pressures while backing small business. “We live in one of the best parts of NSW,” Ms Massa said. “But the pressures are real: cost of living and doing business, housing and development, and congestion on roads that haven’t kept pace.”
The Northern Beaches resident said she built strong relationships across all sides of politics in her quest to oust Healthscope as the private operator. “I’m someone who has the drive,” Ms Massa told PL.
“I want to keep going by listening, discerning, and taking our community’s voice to Parliament. I’ll bring the same determination and love that has carried me these past few years.”
Danny ‘fully supported’ his wife’s campaign, Elouise said, with a campaign website to follow soon.
