We asked James Redgrave, an independent candidate for Mayor of Latrobe Council, to do some thinking out loud for us.

Specifically, we want him to talk a bit about the mechanics of building a campaign and the kinds of issues that he thinks are worth focussing on.

This is the second column of a series that provides some insight into campaigning and what it takes for a serious tilt at local government.

If other candidates (elsewhere please) – and that includes the House of Assembly election, but be quick – are interested in doing something similar, or even something quite different, please send a query to [email protected].

June found me just coming off a fairly successful federal election campaign in Braddon for independent Adam Martin.

The last thing I was expecting was the prospect of a state election campaign five weeks later.

I had just moved my head around to thinking I could start a local government run for Mayor of Latrobe and had just had a photoshoot for the new campaign pictures done when … here comes Winter with a vote of no confidence in Rockliff that just managed the numbers to roll the Premier of Tasmania.

So I had to pivot and look at my options. With signs I had purchased myself last year at an expense of $7,500, I was wondering if I should use them again? Maybe like every other lowish budget candidate in the 2025 election I concluded the signs you have must be re-used because by the time you order new ones it will be time pack them up.

I hate the waste in these elections and reusing signs is an environmentally friendly way to not only save some dollars but to get a little creative. Keep an eye out in Braddon for some fairly funky signs over the next four weeks.

I drove past one Braddon minister’s home before the Governor returned and saw a few packets of signs out ready to go so I pressed my own go button.

As much as another election feels like a drag, an interesting thought was presented to me that if done well our communities in the north west of Tasmania would greatly benefit from the outcome.

The constant pivoting in an election cycle is the realm of the independent, because we are not governed by party policy or internal factions. We are mostly hard-working community-focused individuals who want nothing more than to support our local area.

We are not career politicians who went to university, joined a party, worked in a MP’s office to be conditioned to serve the party above all else. The born-entitled make their cloistered tilts at politics and we see those results across the nation.

What was abundantly clear to me over the month was that the first ever State Budget by this Treasurer was a debacle full of debt and deficit. It set in motion the almost inevitable outcome: the Premier ran bawling out of the sand pit to the Governor because he wants to be lord of the sand pit in his own right, with his toy cranes lined up ready to build something Tasmania cannot afford at this time.

The outcome of the winter/Winter election is anyone’s guess, but you just have to be in it to win it.

I feel that as an independent you must take every available media opportunity even if you need to manufacture them at times. The press won’t come to many independents until you have a few runs on the board and even then if they think you may upset the applecart or spud box they will attack you first to show you the power they have. Be prepared for any sucker questions, but be brave and deliver from the heart; the community will hear you.

A Happy Ending

Signs I ordered for the 2026 Local Government campaign now need more, uh, signs on them to reflect the winter of 2025 Tasmanian House of Assembly election. At least it will be over in four weeks and there are not too many community events on. So being creative might just work. When you trying to do a lot with a little, you have to make it work.

Lastly I’ll leave you with the photo from Braddons Lookout. When it feels like I need some perspective, I like to go up there and get exactly that.

Anyway that’s all for this time from the Two Tradies in a Truck + 1 team, we’ll catch you again soon.

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