Currumbin election: Labor’s Kaylee Campradt forced to defend ‘born and bred’ campaign in state seat

The LNP has taken aim at Labor‘s Currumbin candidate about her birthplace – but she says it’s a “grubby” attempt to derail her campaign.

The LNP has taken aim at Labor‘s Currumbin candidate for claiming she’s “born and bred” Gold Coast – but she says it’s a “grubby” attempt to derail her campaign.

Labor’s Kaylee Campradt has repeatedly campaigned on being “born and bred” on the Gold Coast when in fact she was born in Brisbane.

“I was actually born in Brisbane and at three months old we moved to Tugun where I spent the first four years of my life,” she declares in a video obtained by the Bulletin.

The LNP has taken aim at Ms Campradt and is now labelling her campaign a “complete fabrication”.

Ms Campradt is facing off against the Opposition candidate Laura Gerber, Greens candidate Sally Spain and One Nation candidate Nicholas Bettany in the hotly contested seat.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk introducing Labor candidate Kaylee Campradt. Picture: Nigel Hallett

But Ms Campradt said it’s all a big fuss about nothing and moved to clarify the comment at a forum which whipped the Queensland LNP into a frenzy.

“Oh my God, seriously? It just sort of shows how desperate the LNP are, how low they will go," she said.

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“I don’t think people are interested in this level of grubbiness.”

She told the Bulletin her mum was a Tugun resident, but went to Brisbane to stay with family during her pregnancy, where she remained until Ms Campradt was three-months-old.

An example of Labor candidate for Currmbin's "Local born and bred" branded campaign material.

Ms Campradt’s campaign material states she is “Local born and bred”.

Currumbin LNP candidate Laura Gerber. Picture: Adam Head

Long-time LNP MP Jann Stuckey announced early retirement and resigned in January, citing a battle with depression and alleged bullying within her party, prompting the by-election.

LNP Deputy Leader Tim Mander said: “Labor’s whole Currumbin campaign has been exposed as a lie and the community deserves better than a candidate who can’t even tell the truth.”

“If Labor’s candidate can’t even tell then truth about where she is born, how could anyone trust her to represent the people of Currumbin?” he said.

Currumbin Labor candidate Kaylee Campradt. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Unlike the LNP’s candidate Laura Gerber, who was born on the Coast and has been truthful about her background, Labor have been lying since day one.”

He said Labor “have been caught out lying” and “the people of Currumbin deserve better”.

Ms Campradt said she did not regret using the phrase “Local born and bred”.

“I think they’re splitting hairs over a three-month period,” she said.

“That just shows how desperate they are to distract from the real issues that people want to talk about, and that’s what’s important to this community.

Deputy LNP leader Tim Mander. Picture: Peter Carruthers

“Their whole campaign is based around simple slogans, empty promises and nasty insults.”

Earlier in the campaign, Ms Gerber was forced to defend claims by Ms Stuckey that she was a “blow-in” who had only moved to the electorate five months before the election.

She refuted Ms Stuckey’s comments and said she moved to the Gold Coast in January, 2019.

The by-election for Currumbin is due to go ahead March 28.

Ms Stuckey was re-elected at the previous five elections, but had a 2.4 per cent swing against her towards Labor at the last election, taking 53.3 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.

Previously, Labor said only about 1000 votes would be needed to snare Currumbin.