Council candidates for the ward of Lockwood have said an opponent is using his political and personal affiliations to gain an unfair advantage over the competition.
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Matt Emond was the only candidate to appear at a Victorian government funding announcement for the Marong SES unit on Tuesday, attending the event alongside state and federal Labor MPs, Maree Edwards and Lisa Chesters.
Mr Emond, a member of the Australian Labor Party who is also in a relationship with Ms Chesters, said last week he would run for council as an independent.
Spokespeople from the SES and Ms Edwards' office both said they did not invite Mr Emond to the announcement.
Asked how he came to know about the event, Mr Emond said he offered to take a photograph for Ms Chesters' social media accounts because "no one in her office was available".
"In regards to the Maree Edwards and State Labor announcement for the Marong SES on Tuesday, I was not formally involved in the event, I didn’t make comment and was not involved in the official photos that were taken in regards to the event," he said.
He did, however, talk with SES members and pose for his own photos, posting an image on his campaign Facebook page.
"Taking photos with community groups is not unusual or rare," Mr Emond said.
Four other people to announce they are running council in the seat of Lockwood - Jennifer Alden, Vaughan Williams, Jan Pagliaro and Emma Burgland - all told the Bendigo Advertiser they did not receive an invitation to the event and did not know it was taking place.
Mr Williams described Mr Emond's presence at the media opportunity as "disappointing".
“We're running because we actually believe in Bendigo and the communities we have here, such as the SES,” he said.
“Obviously someone else has had an extra chance to engage with that community.”
Mr Williams doubted his opponent’s ability to keep party politics out of his campaign and said party affiliations had no role in local government.
"Council is there for the sole purpose of the people of Bendigo. They're there to manage the city and put the people's agenda first,” he said.
But the move could backfire for Mr Emond on election day, Mr Williams said, believing people disenchanted with the the state of politics would opt not to support a candidate seen to be coming from one of the country’s major parties.
Ms Pagliaro said the opportunity to lobby for voter support alongside state and federal parliamentarians gave Mr Emond an unfair advantage over his opponents, adding she would have liked the chance to attend Tuesday’s announcement.
“It looks very, very one-sided,” she said.
Ms Chesters confirmed she asked Mr Emond to attend the event and take a photograph for her social media accounts, but said it did not constitute a formal invite from her office.
“Members of public, people from my office regularly take photos of me at an event, or I take selfies,” the Bendigo MP said.
Asked whether she would be active in Mr Emond’s council bid, Ms Chesters said she would support her partner in the same way she was supported during federal election campaigns she had contested.