Cr Sri stood as a candidate for The Gabba Ward at the 2016 Brisbane City Council election, held on 19 March, where he received 31.7% of the primary vote. Preferences from the Labor candidate, Nicole Lessio, gave Cr Sri 55% of the two-party-preferred vote, and he declared victory on 23 March after receiving a concession call from Lessio. He was sworn in on 12 April 2016, becoming the first Greens councillor anywhere in Queensland, and the first of Sri Lankan Tamil heritage. At the 2016 election, Cr Sri's ideas included:
Hold a plebiscite with local residents to determine if various neighbourhood plans in the Gabba Ward should be scrapped.
Introduce an online voting system for residents to inform him of issues.
Establish a network of home-owners with spare bedrooms to accommodate people who cannot find affordable housing.
In 2016, Cr Sri organised human barricades and protests against the controversial West Village development in West End. The development still went ahead. In 2018, Cr Sri was accused of harassing and stalking a local real estate agent. Official investigations were launched into the complaint and the Brisbane City Council opted not to pursue misconduct charges. Cr Sri believes the Queensland Police is a violent and racist organisation. In October 2019, Cr Sri was fined $1,300 for "inappropriate conduct" by the Councillor Conduct Review Panel, after "posing as a concerned resident in a hoax voicemail" left for state MP Jennifer Howard.
2020 Brisbane City Council Election
Cr Sri stood as a candidate for The Gabba Ward at the 2020 Brisbane City Council election, held on 28 March, where he received 45.6% of the primary vote.
Beliefs
He is supportive of "public disobedience" as a valid form of political action and has posted information to assist followers in avoiding being fined. Cr Sri also regularly discusses flaws in the current political system and advocates for its end. He has criticised the behaviour of the Queensland Police Service, describing them as a "violent and racist" institution.
Personal life
Cr Sri lives on a houseboat moored in the Brisbane River with his partner. He is a saxophonist and vocalist with Brisbane band The Mouldy Lovers. He is known for his spoken word performances. When elected in 2016, Cr Sri was living in an illegal sharehouse with seven other adults. The LNP-dominated Brisbane City Council opted not to instigate any action.
