Wheelchair candidate ‘taunted’ for wearing Covid mask at Stretton by-election

The Stretton by-election has turned into a nasty war of words over Covid vaccinations and masks, with a wheelchair-bound candidate claiming discrimination and abuse on the hustings.

Green candidate Andrea Wildin, main; Duncan Pegg top and Informed Medical Options Party candidate Jasmine Melhop.

The Stretton by-election has turned into a nasty war of words over Covid vaccinations and masks with a wheelchair-bound candidate claiming discrimination and abuse on the hustings.

Green Party candidate Andrea Wildin, who is confined to a wheelchair, said a volunteer from the anti-vax Informed Medical Options Party criticised her for wearing a Covid mask.

The pair were at the Acacia Ridge polling booth handing out voting cards for their respective parties in the race called after sitting MP Duncan Pegg died of cancer last month aged 40.

The by-election was called after the death of Stretton MP Duncan Pegg last month.

Ms Wildin said she was taunted by a volunteer for the IMOP party who berated her for following the public health guidelines.

But she lodged a formal complaint after the volunteer said: “Perhaps if the science was any good, you wouldn’t be in a wheelchair.”

Ms Wildin said a group of about 10 volunteers from the Labor Party and the Animal Justice Party allegedly formed a human shield around her to protect her from further abuse.

IMOP was contacted for a comment and its candidate for the seat, Jasmine Melhop, was also informed of the alleged incident.

Volunteers helping candidates at the Acacia Ridge booth ahead of this weekend’s Stretton by-election.

Green Party Logan branch convener Kirsty Petersen said the matter was reported to the Stretton Returning Officer Darryl Sampson who said he would investigate.

Mr Sampson said he referred the claims to the Electoral Commission of Queensland head office.

“He responded that the IMOP candidate reported not seeing the incident, his Electoral Office staff did not see anything and therefore, the volunteer was not removed from the site,” Ms Petersen said.

A how-to-vote card from IMOP.

“The behaviour of the IMOP candidate and volunteers is abhorrent and to bully and harass a wheelchair user for being a wheelchair user is discriminatory.”

The seat, which covers Calamvale, Eight Mile Plains, Kuraby, Sunnybank Hills and Underwood, is hotly contested as it was held safely by Mr Pegg since 2015.

He was returned at last year’s October election with a 4.95 per cent majority and it is expected the ALP will retain the seat.

About 3500 people voted last week in the electorate which has about 33,000 voters.