‘You need three times that $250,000 to win the mayoral race’

Mayoral candidate Virginia Freebody says she will spend $250,000 in the local government campaign but believes at least $1 million is needed to topple Mayor Tom Tate.

MAYORAL candidate Virginia Freebody says she will spend $250,000 in the local government campaign, but believes at least $1 million is needed to topple Mayor Tom Tate.

“Conservatively, $250,000. That is how much money I will have to do to beat the him. That’s what my family will give me,” she said.

Gold Coast Mayoral candidate Virginia Freebody. Pic Tim Marsden

The Robina dry cleaner said a huge amount of funding was needed to cover radio and television advertising.

Candidates with no profile needed to pay for advertising wrapping around the city’s buses and trams to get much-needed exposure, she said.

“My family are in rural and agricultural (business),” Ms Freebody said.

“I need three times that $250,000, really. To be genuinely honest with you, you need three times that amount of money to win because if you are going to beat the incumbent it is going to be a killer, hard run. He’s hard to win against.

“I was told by a very senior politician that I would need a million to beat him. And another politician I spoke to agreed with that number.”

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Ms Freebody said her decision to stand against Councillor Tate was more than her opposition to the offshore cruise ship terminal, which she had publicised on her Facebook page.

“There’s more than that. The light rail. It’s uneconomically sustainable here to the southern region on the Gold Coast,” she said.

Mayoral debate between Tom Tate and Mona Hecke at a UDIA lunch at the Hilton in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Disclosures from the Electoral Commission of Queensland website show Ms Freebody, who is self-funded, is yet to lodge any expenditure.

The disclosures show Cr Tate, who is also self-funded, has no declarations. His expenditure reports show small amounts of spending, just more than $3300.

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Health author Mona Hecke, who this week attended the first mayoral debate, has listed donations totalling $9000 courtesy of three backers.

Ms Hecke has spent more than $16,000 on numerous small campaign items.

Businessman Brett Lambert, who is also saying his campaign will be self-funded, has no donations. He has listed no expenditure so far.

Ms Hecke has told the Bulletin that she is staging a “truly grassroots” campaign against Cr Tate, who spent about $340,000 winning the 2012 poll.

The Mayor’s discount campaign in 2016, funded by himself and his wife Ruth, cost about $182,000.

The 2016 Mayoral Candidate Debate held at the Surfers Paradise Marriot Hotel. Brett Lambert ran the first time around. Picture Mike Batterham.

The Bulletin understands Ms Hecke will stage an advertising campaign. Her backers believe her chances remain strong given the anti-mayor vote which is not likely to split among several candidates this time around.

In the mayoral race in 2016, Penny Toland and Jim Wilson both attracted the anti-Tate vote.

While Ms Freebody has been campaigning with posts on Facebook, she has indicated a final decision on standing would be made this month.

Mayoral debate between Tom Tate and Mona Hecke at a UDIA lunch at the Hilton in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams.

Ms Freebody admitted one of the factors guiding her was speculation a high-profile political candidate was considering a tilt at local politics.

She said there was no point in her competing if she was facing two high-profile candidates.