Council candidate: ’We are pretty much running on the smell of an oily rag’

While some candidates are spending as little as $1500, others are spending an eye-watering amount in their bid to be elected to council.

SOME candidates are spending at much as $60,000 while others will run on “an oily rag” with as little as $1500.

Division 7 candidates Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, Andre Saint-Flour, Tony Melia, Wendy Coe and Amin Javanmar were asked at the Bulletin’s election forum at Nerang on Tuesday night how much they intended to spend in the lead-up to the March 28 poll and how many volunteers would be working their booths on election day.

Division 7 candidates, (l-r) Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden, Andre Saint-Flour, Tony Melia, Wendy Coe and Amin Javanmar, Picture: Jerad Williams.

Mr Bayldon-Lumsden, a teacher who works two jobs helping children in the disability sector, said he had decided to self-fund his campaign.

“I didn’t want have any bias, perceived bias,” he said. “Currently I think I’ve spent about $55,000. I Imagine it will be just over $60,000.”

Some of the budget was to help volunteers because he was aiming to have at least 10 people per booth for the entire day, most of them from sporting clubs, or the teaching and disability sectors.

Andre Saint-Flour said he had about two volunteers per booth but he “did not believe he had to spend a fortune”.

Mr Melia said his wife and himself were funding the campaign from their savings, and his budget was between $10,000 and $15,000.

Division 7 candidate Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden speaking at the function. Picture: Jerad Williams.

“Our support crew is mainly made up with family and friends. My mum, and sister and everyone’s sons will be standing out in the polling booths in orange shirts, you won’t be able to miss us,” he said.

Ms Coe predicted her campaign would hit “a grand total of $6000”.

“I have had donations. I’ve spent most of my life raising my child by myself or in jobs serving the community that did not pay very well instead of going corporate,” she said.

“I aim to have as many volunteers as possible on the day obviously. Unfortunately for me I don’t have a large family.

“I’m relying all my friends, past volunteers who have worked for me, people in the multicultural community, and people have actually stopped me in the street lately and asked me to work on the campaign which has been quite encouraging.”

Ms Javanmar plans on recycling some of his previous state election material and not spending more than $1500.

“I anticipate on spending most of the budget on the after-party,” he said. “We are running pretty much on the smell of an oily rag. I am re-using corflutes I used when I ran for the State electorate of Bonney.”