Twelve years after his previous tilt at elected office, and fewer since he quit the Liberal Party in spectacular fashion, a Launceston real estate agent is vying for a spot on the council.
Property representative at Town & Country Real Estate, Kyle Barrett has his sights set on the mayoralty of the City of Launceston come the elections in October 2026.
A one-time supporter of mayor Matthew Garwood, Mr Barrett said he would be a drama-free, pro-development, economically conservative - but politically independent - leader.
"I want to see the city succeed, essentially," Mr Barrett said.
"Leadership is the key thing going to this election, and people just don't want the drama to such a degree."
Mr Barrett said he would advocate for the residents of the city's eastern and northern suburbs, like Waverley and Ravenswood, who were often overlooked by the council in terms of services and infrastructure investment.
He said they also bore the brunt of rates rises due to incomes being lower, on average.
"We've had representatives, like Annette Waddle, in the past that did a good job of that. I can't think of too many recently," Mr Barrett said.
Mr Barrett voiced his displeasure at the budget blowouts attached to the Princess Theatre redevelopment, and the Albert Hall before that, and councillors' use of entitlements not passing the pub test.
The $40,000 catering bill for elected representatives and the use of ratepayer-funded travel without a clear benefit to the city were two examples of this, and would be reined in.
"We have to be an example for the public," Mr Barrett said.
"The small decisions amplify the big ones, I believe."
Mr Barrett said he would also seek to minimise the $7 million annual loss made by the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG), and potentially review staff headcount and wages.
Despite being a vocal critic of the now-abandoned four-day work week proposal at the council, Mr Barrett said he was open to changing his mind if "more businesses came on board" before it was implemented.
A better alternative to retain staff, he said, would be to review the culture within the council's administrative branch and ensure it was suitable.
Other economic pledges from Mr Barrett included limiting rates rises to inflation, and imposing differential entry fees at council facilities to ensure residents did not subsidise interlopers when they used the aquatic centre or visited QVMAG.
Mr Barrett said the council also needed to be more transparent, and proposed a variety of methods.
This included the publication of councillors' diaries and attendance at meetings, disclosure of any gifts received or other interests they held, and the publication of unredacted recordings of council meetings - all on social media.
The council already does these - attendance is logged in meeting minutes, meetings themselves are live streamed and available for playback on YouTube, and councillors declare gifts in an online register.
Mr Barrett said this was not enough as many ratepayers were unaware the information was available - but not for a lack of caring about it.
"I think a lot of people are probably unaware of those things, the register in particular I think it would help to place it on social media. It's just that's where people are," Mr Barrett said.
"We're paying for this show and we should see it all."
On the topic of social media, Mr Barrett has posted prolifically since announcing his candidacy, particularly on matters already looming large in media coverage and the public consciousness like the incumbent mayor's conduct and the poor fortunes of Swirlz lolly shop.
Mr Barrett said some sort of compensation - but not a complete bailout - was warranted given the extraordinary circumstances of the extreme drop in the shop's trade caused by the council-led project.
He said his social media presence was, and would remain, less about the personality behind the keyboard and more about the elected office.
"When I post it's policies, ideas, or priorities for the city. It's not just about whoever the mayor is or the aesthetics of a candidate," Mr Barrett said.
Other priorities were improving the relationship between the council and local developers - particularly those involved in residential construction - and reviving the city's ailing CBD as many businesses were "teetering" on the edge of collapse.
Mr Barrett said, if he was elected, he was prepared to work with others around the table for the benefit of the city.
"I'm as interested as to what other people want to achieve, as what I want to achieve as well," he said.
"For a council to work, you don't always get everything you want. I realise that. But I think if you're prepared to buy in to others' visions and help with them, they will support you."