Brisbane City Council, led by Liberal National Party Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner, passed new laws last year restricting federal, state and local election signs on private property.

Under the rules, signs can be no larger than 60cm by 60cm, with limits of one per property and 150 per electorate.

All signs on private property must be registered with the council before they’re installed, erected and displayed.

Schrinner said at the time the new laws would stop a “significant free-for-all and visual pollution”.

However the Greens’ candidate for the Brisbane seat of Griffith, Max Chandler-Mather, says the rules deny people’s freedom of expression.

“Government banning millions of people from publicly displaying their support for a political party is something you’d expect in Russia, not Australia,” he told AAP on Thursday.

“There’s no limit to the number of billboards a party can buy, but the LNP wants to ban ordinary people from showing their support for a political party.”

Chandler-Mather called the laws a political attack on the Greens and said his party will not comply with them.

He also said any attempt by the council to enforce the laws, or punish Greens supporters for breaching them, will be challenged in court.

“I want to be very clear, we won’t be taking a single yard sign down,” Chandler-Mather said.

“If they want to fine us then we’ll take them to court.”

Comment on the laws has been sought from Brisbane City Council and Queensland Labor.