REDLAND City has moved into election mode despite the state government still yet to call the election and candidate nominations.
Candidates for the city's 10 electorates include real estate agents, businessmen and women, and those with ties to political parties on both sides of the fence.
With the election expected to be called mid-February, prospective candidates have already started to complain.
Division 4 candidate Lance Hewlett said he and his wife Sheena had been targeted on Facebook by LNP federal MP Andrew Laming.
Mr Laming said he had every reason to question the Hewletts’ connection with a Facebook page called Victoria’s Point.
Mr Laming helped to run the campaign for Kim Hardman who won the Division 3 seat at the 2012 election and is now backing his staff member Penny Donald for the same seat.
Division 3 candidate, Paul Golle, a former soldier, said he was harassed after mistakenly putting up his campaign signs in the wrong spot.
He said there was a grey area in the law about getting permission to erect signs on private rental properties.
Mr Golle said occupants of a Thornlands rental property gave him permission to put up his signs in their front garden but he was then ordered to take them down after a phone call from Mr Laming.
Mr Golle said he was then told he had to get permission from the owner of the property not the tenants.
Division 8 candidate Tracey Huges said she believed she was unfairly treated when Alexandra Hills Shopping Centre refused to allow her to set up an information booth prior to the official campaign period being declared.
Mrs Huges, who is running against sitting councillor Alan Beard in Division 8, said the centre originally gave her permission to set up a booth prior to election declaration if she got public liability insurance.
However, centre administration officer Ashleigh O'Sullivan over ruled that decision and said the centre would not be involved in the election campaign and no candidates would be allowed to occupy space in the centre during the election period.
All shopping centres across the city have banned political candidates during the official election campaign period, which is yet to be declared.
Mayoral candidates have also felt the pressure with sitting mayor Karen Williams taking to Facebook to dismiss a range of "myths" including that she had breast implants.
"I did work in the money market for those few who are trying to discredit my financial background," she said.
"... I started at a computerised clearing house for bank bills at Austraclear in Sydney (O’Connell St) where I trained merchant bankers on how to use this new technology."
Voters can meet the two mayoral candidates - including Cr Williams and former council officer Greg Underwood - at a Redlands Chamber of Commerce forum three days before the March 19 poll.
Sitting member for Division 1, Wendy Boglary, is running against Wellington Point real estate agent Paul Branagan.
In Division 2, physio Peter Mitchell, who is a supporter of Cr Williams, will be opposing sitting councillor Craig Ogilvie, who, along with Cr Boglary, Paul Bishop and Cr Hewlett support Mr Underwood.
In Division 3, along with Ms Donald and Mr Golle, sitting member Cr Hardman is yet to declare her hand but if she does run, will also be up against businesswoman and Karen Williams' supporter Karyn Owen.
In Division 4, Cr Hewlett is up against Victoria Point's James Harling, a real estate agent.
No candidate has been announced to run against sitting councillor Mark Edwards in Division 5.
In Division 6, sitting councillor Julie Talty, who gained horse riding tracks for her constituents in the past term, will run against former Business Grow contractor Melanie Lavelle-Maloney.
Long-time councillor Murray Elliott will take up the challenge from former radio announcer Sharyn Doolan.
Cr Paul Gleeson will recontest division 9 against Jess McNamara, who has ties with the ALP and Cr Paul Bishop is so far running unopposed for his Division 10 seat.
