Ryan Baildon-Ramsden greets voters by name with a smile as they enter the pre-voting booth in Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast. The locals are happy to see him and he is equally happy.
The Division 7 contenders know they have competition. Mr Baildon-Ramsden is well-liked and well-known having served as an MP for three years.
But this is no ordinary city council election. If you look closely, you’ll notice the shape of an ankle monitor bulging into the hem of his jeans.
The 30-year-old is probably the only Australian to stand for office while facing murder charges.
“Make sure you vote for someone who can actually represent you,” says Joe Wilkinson, one of Baildon-Ramsden’s opponents, as a group of voters heads to the polls.
Baildon Ramsden has been suspended since September with a salary of $160,000 and will leave the department pending a vote by council.
The former disabled worker is accused of murdering his stepfather, Robert Malcolm Lumsden, 58, at his Arundel home on August 23.
His lawyer has indicated that he intends to plead not guilty. In court last year, Baildon-Ramsden told police that his stepfather controlled his finances, employment and relationships.
Baildon Lumsden has been given a full suspension, while taxpayers are now covering the councilor’s adviser’s salary of $120,000. Her role is to listen to constituent concerns and forward them to Congress, but she does not have the right to vote.
Stephen Miles, who is now the prime minister, said while he was local government minister that if Baildon-Ramsden is re-elected, the government will have to “reconsider extending the suspension until the court rules”. he warned. It may take months or years.
If the optional preferential voting system were in place, Baildon Lumsden could win a seat in Queensland’s second-largest city council with just about 25 per cent of the vote in the March 16 election.
But most voters Guardian Australia spoke to at early voting stations were either unaware or unfazed by the clouds surrounding his campaign.
Amy Teikake, who lives in Division 7, said she planned to vote for Baildon-Ramsden. “He has not been found guilty. We like him and will continue to vote for him. [we’ll] Let’s see what happens,” she said.
Michael Nides also supported Baildon-Ramsden. “He was always willing to listen. We seemed to realize that the problem was being fixed and that things were being taken seriously.”
Another sign of the suspended MP’s popularity came when Warwick and Therese Caldwell, the parents of Fadden’s Liberal National Party MP Cameron Caldwell, were seen handing out leaflets.
But local Anna Barraras feels differently. “He’s a good person and he’s done good things… but I don’t think that’s a good idea in this situation… there’s too much uncertainty,” she said.
Mr Baildon-Ramsden announced his candidacy for city council last year after months of speculation during a brief press conference at his solicitor’s office. But he hurried away before reporters could ask questions.
Since then, he has given few interviews and avoided candidate events. His physical activity so far has been limited to waving at cars on the side of the road with his mother and his sister.
Contacted by Guardian Australia at a voting center on Monday, Mr Baildon-Ramsden said he was not concerned about possible suspension.
“If that were the case, I wouldn’t be here,” he said. “I think democracy should move in that direction.”
Baildon-Ramsden said community engagement is his biggest focus.
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“I want to continue to deliver on all the great things that we’ve been doing the last few years…I want to continue to focus on Division 7, our sidewalks, our roads. Our parks, our community. It’s an event,” he said.
In an unusual move, Division 7 candidates came together in December last year to issue a joint statement expressing concerns about Baildon-Ramsden’s chances of being re-elected.
Wilkinson said he believes the community deserves better.
“We believe our community deserves people who can come in and do their jobs without question from day one,” he said.
Division 7 candidate Jenna Schroeder said there was no indication from Mr Baildon-Ramsden’s campaign materials that he was currently suspended as a councilor.
“I’m really disappointed that Ryan is standing in this election,” she told Guardian Australia.
“My concern now is that many residents will go into this election without any of the information they need to make informed decisions.”
Another candidate in the category, Edward Saloff, said it was “crazy” that Mr Baildon-Ramsden had chosen to run.
“I think it’s a very dangerous situation,” he said. “The most important thing now is to number every box and put Ryan last.”
State MP Sam O’Connor, whose Bonny constituency overlaps with much of Division 7, agreed in a Facebook post that Baildon Ramsden’s re-election was “too risky”.
“It will likely be some time, even years, before he is brought to court,” he wrote.
“[If he is re-elected] …Our communities will almost certainly continue to miss out as they have over the past few months. ”
A Department for Local Government spokesperson said: “If Mr Baildon-Ramsden is re-elected, the Local Government Minister, Megan Scanlon MP, will consider the public interest factors involved in this matter and decide whether to use her powers to intervene. There is a need.”
“Decisions about what happens after the election results are announced will be made at that time and will depend on the state of court deliberations at that time.”
