A low-profile Liberal candidate has apologised for declaring Premier Daniel Andrews will face justice for the "murder" of Victorians stemming from hotel quarantine leaks.
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Michael Piastrino is running against Mr Andrews in his safe seat of Mulgrave at the Victorian state election on November 26.
Over the weekend, he accused the state Labor leader of murdering 800 people, in reference to those who died after COVID-19 leaked out of hotel quarantine during the second wave.
"Once Dan is gone Victoria will be put at peace," Mr Piastrino said in a video published on Sunday.
"We're getting rid of all the dodgy policies Daniel Andrews has put through and he will be brought to justice for the murder of 800 people, for not allowing loved ones to kiss their loved ones goodbye who are dying in intensive care."
Mr Piastrino appears in the video with Rukshan Fernando, who gained notoriety for live-streaming Melbourne's anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine mandate protests last year.
Within hours of the video being published, the Victorian Liberal Party campaign issued a statement on Mr Piastrino's behalf.
"I wish to apologise for the inappropriate language I used in an interview over the weekend," he said on Monday.
Mr Andrews wouldn't be drawn on whether he accepted the apology.
"He's completely irrelevant to the work that I'm doing, keeping Victorians safe. His politics are for him," he told reporters.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said he hadn't spoken to Mr Piastrino but agreed his comments were inappropriate.
Mr Andrews holds the seat of Mulgrave on a 12.71 per cent margin but Mr Guy believes he will lose ground in November, after swings away from Labor at booths within the area during the federal election in May.
Meanwhile, former senator and radio shock jock Derryn Hinch has revealed the father of slain Melbourne woman Courtney Herron will be on the ballot for his party at next month's poll.
John Herron, whose 25-year-old daughter was beaten to death by Henry Hammond at Royal Park in May 2019, will be second on Mr Hinch's Justice Party's ticket for Northern Victoria behind sitting MP Tania Maxwell.
"My daughter would have wanted me to fight for her and other female victims of crime," Mr Herron said.
Mr Hinch is attempting to make a political comeback in Victoria's upper house as the party's lead candidate for the Southern Metropolitan region, after failing to return to the federal Senate in May.
Australian Associated Press
