Gotcha poll moment: Stunning video footage shows candidate confronting man

A Gold Coast council candidate has caught a man cutting down his corflutes at night, sparking a heated debate on a waterfront footpath.

It’s a stunning campaign gotcha moment – a council candidate has caught a man cutting down his corflutes sparking a heated debate at night on a waterfront footpath.

Division Seven candidate Joe Wilkinson was shocked as he sprung a middle-aged man using a cutter to rip off his election poster on a fence along Marine Parade at Labrador.

Mr Wilkinson, walking to his car after leaving his campaign launch, told the man: “Excuse me mate, that’s my property, I don’t know why you would be touching it. That’s my face, that’s my name. It’s a council-owned fence. These are up for election purposes.”

The man shot back claiming the fence was for maritime advertising and notices.

Stills from a video supplied by Division Seven candidate Joe Wilkinson leading up to the Coast City 2024 elections.

But Mr Wilkinson told him: “Mate, walk away from it. You don’t even need to touch it.”

The man told Mr Wilkinson to “mind his own business” as he stormed off, holding the cutter in his hand.

Mr Wilkinson told him he would contact police. He has since lodged a complaint.

“Regardless of political views, the destruction of candidates’ signs is not on,” Mr Wilkinson told the Bulletin.

“Candidates invest their own money, energy and efforts towards communicating who they are with the public, making them aware that they’re a candidate in the upcoming election.

Stills from a video supplied by Division Seven candidate Joe Wilkinson leading up to the Coast City 2024 elections.

“This sort of behaviour is not welcome in our community. I’d urge residents to please be respectful towards all candidates signs.

“You can have your say on the 16 March, when the council election takes place.”

The incident follows an unprecedented theft of corflutes in the city’s north.

Several other candidates are appealing to residents to provide CCTV footage to help them track down their signs and those who put graffiti on them or had them removed.

Stills from a video supplied by Division Seven candidate Joe Wilkinson leading up to the Coast City 2024 elections.

Division Two candidate Naomi Fowler has lost more than 100 signs in one night, vandals targeting her campaign at Oxenford. In a bizarre twist, some were later found.

Nineteen corflutes were dumped at a resident’s property at The Surrounds last Wednesday night and almost 40 neatly stacked at a back basketball court at Helensvale State High School on Thursday.

Jenna Schroeder, another Division 7 candidate, has vowed to stand up against “bullies”.

Gold Coast Division Seven candidate Joe Wilkinson.

Ms Schroeder earlier last week called out a “neighbourhood artist” for giving her corflute a shocking makeover.

“As the only woman in the race, it seems they thought I needed a bit more ‘male influence’ to fit in,” she said.

Division 7 candidate Jenna Schroeder inspecting damage to her corflutes.

Other corflutes were then dumped in creeks. Ms Schroeder took video of the wrecked signs.

Ms Fowler said it was “heartbreaking” to wake up on Wednesday morning to discover 100 signs had vanished during the night, costing up to $1000 from a tight personal spend.

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