Protest candidate gets Labor’s blessing

A Baptist minister who was arrested while protesting in the office of Labor’s local heavyweight is to seek election as a declared member of the same party.
Brent Lyons-Lee said his candidacy for Kardinia Ward was “surprising” given the 2014 incident involving MP Richard Marles, federal Labor’s defence shadow minister.
Police charged Mr Lyons-Lee and six other local religious figures with refusing to leave a public place after their eight-hour sit-in over asylum-seeker children in detention.
A magistrate later fined each member of the group $200 without conviction.
Mr Lyons-Lee, who lives at Waurn Ponds with his wife and nine-year-old son, described himself as “passionate about social justice” including “asylum-seeker rights”.
“I am an entrepreneurial and visionary leader motivated by a desire to understand and improve the world around me and devise fresh solutions to difficult problems,” he said.
Mr Lyons-Lee was one of two Labor-affiliated candidates to emerge this week, with Melissa Caldwell targeting Brownbill Ward.
Several declared Greens members will also contest the election in various wards.
Declared Liberal members running for election include former councillor Ron Nelson in Kardinia.
Nominations officially opened this week and close on Tuesday.
Voting packs are scheduled to arrive in letterboxes on 10 October. Voting closes on 27 October.