Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens goes to ground a week out from election as LNP members defend video meltdown

AS 55 other members and candidates were knocking on doors trying to win an election, Coast MP Ray Stevens spent yesterday holed up in his office.

NINE days out from the election, as 55 other members and candidates were knocking on doors and trying to win an election, Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens spent yesterday holed up in his office.

However, while he was maintaining his months-long silence over his link to the Gold Coast cableway, the ­former city mayor could not hide from the nationwide ­attention that his chicken-dancing mime act garnered within 24 hours of being ­posted online.

The Mermaid MP, who is the sole director of a member company of Gold Coast Skyride, has refused since last year to detail his stake or role in the $100 million proposal for one of the region’s most sensitive environmental areas.

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Quizzed again by a journalist and unaware a campaign volunteer was filming him on Wednesday night, Mr Stevens stood toe-to-toe with him, waving his arms and dancing side-to-side before making a quacking duck beak with his hand and swatting at the reporter like a fly.

Ray Stevens refuses to answer questions from IA editor David Donovan.

More than 47,000 people had viewed the original video last night, with countless more views logged on social media and other sites — a number that was still increasing steadily.

Mr Stevens was nowhere to be seen at the Nobby Beach polling booth where the now viral video was filmed, with a single LNP volunteer manning the Gold Coast Highway location.

The assistant minister was later spotted by the Bulletin at his nearby electoral office late yesterday morning where he had been meeting with fellow conservative politician, federal McPherson MP, Karen ­Andrews.

An office staffer told the Bulletin Mr Stevens was not available for comment despite him being present.

He remained at the office throughout the afternoon and into the evening, where his car remained parked behind the office more than an hour after it closed.

Despite rival candidates condemning Mr Stevens, his fellow Gold Coast LNP parliamentarians stuck to the party line.

In the aftermath of the video appearing online, Premier Campbell Newman ­laughed it off.

“It’s pretty funny though, I’ve got to say a bit odd and perhaps a lot of people out there will set the video to some music,” he said.

“I do say people should get behind him, he should get re-elected as the local member and people get to make that choice in a few days’ time.”

Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey followed Mr Newman’s statement and laughed it off, saying Mr Stevens was “a fun-loving colourful character”.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek said the video was “fun” but defended his colleague as a hardworking local member.

Independent Australia journalist David Donovan, the reporter in the viral video, said he had not felt threatened by Mr Stevens, who he said was “just being a goose”.

“Technically, if I really wanted to pursue (an assault charge) I could — but I wouldn’t,” he said.

“I think he just had a brain melt.”

The Bulletin’s promise

FOR 85 days we’ve been asking Ray Stevens how he’ll juggle a new job at a cable car consortium with his roles as Gold Coast MP and assistant minister. He’s still not talking but we’ll keep asking.