Climate 200 candidate: ‘big thumbs up’ for Dutton’s gas policy

Nicolette Boele, running as a ‘teal’ independent in the seat of Bradfield, is a huge supporter of renewable energy. But she also praised the Coalition for their gas reservation proposal - describing the current market as ‘crazy.’

The Sydney candidate facing heat over her political corflutes has stared down a warning from Ausgrid, insisting she has legal advice that the signs are allowed to be hoisted on power poles.

Nicolette Boele, who is fiercely contesting the seat of Bradfield for the second time, has also confirmed men filmed hanging her signs along the Pacific Highway were paid by her campaign team.

“Our advice is that the signs are not unlawfully put up. It is also our legal opinion that so close to an election, putting up signs is absolutely fine,” Ms Boele told The Daily Telegraph.

“We do take responsibility. We will be paying for, and having them taken down when the time is right.”

Asked to explain who the workers were, Ms Boele said: “They are contracted by us, yes. They have all of the papers and insurance to show this is something that they do every day. And that’s why we chose to engage them rather than put our volunteers up ladders.”

Climate 200-backed candidate for Bradfield, Nicolette Boele, at a pre-polling booth in Gordon. Picture: Rohan Kelly

Ausgrid advised political parties before the election that in their view attaching corflutes to power poles is “illegal.”

Ms Boele was one of nine candidates who received a letter in recent days warning them to remove the signs within a week, or be hit with a clean-up bill.

However Ms Boele insisted: “The opinion that we have legally is that it’s not against the law … it is an implied freedom for political communication. That’s the opinion we have.”

This masthead spoke to Nicolette Boele as she braved the rain at a booth in Gordon during day one of pre-poll on Tuesday. Away from the telegraph poles, her advertising has blanketed Sydney’s leafy north with giant signs on buildings, and attached to the back of utes.

The seat of Bradfield, vacated by the retiring Paul Fletcher, has been blue ribbon territory since 1949.

The new Liberal candidate is Gisele Kapterian, who holds a 3.4 per cent margin according to the AEC.

Some of the workers who were filmed carrying signs for Nicolette Boele on the Pacific Highway last week. Ms Boele has confirmed they were paid by her campaign. Picture: Supplied

Ms Boele believed there was a “growing discontent when people look at the major parties mud-slinging and calling names for political expedience and gain”.

“They just want someone to work for them and represent their values,” Ms Boele claimed.

She is one of more than 30 candidates who have been supported in this campaign by Climate 200, the political machine founded by Simon Holmes-a-Court.

Climate 200’s website is currently seeking “urgent funds” for the election, claiming “independents could be the difference between a Trump-inspired Dutton majority and a strong climate crossbench”.

In light of that messaging, Ms Boele was asked how it would be possible to make an agreement deal with the Coalition, in the event of a hung parliament.

“I don’t care what colour jersey you are wearing. If you can deliver for Bradfield on lowering power bills, more supermarket competition and getting housing sorted, you’ve got my support,” she said.

“I want to see which of the parties can make the biggest concessions towards the priorities that I have published, that I will take to the federal parliament.”

Nicolette Boele, running as an independent in Bradfield Picture: Rohan Kelly

Ms Boele has spent the past decade working in “climate finance”, including with electric vehicles and also the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

In an early sign she might be willing to negotiate with both parties in a minority government – Ms Boele “commended the Liberal-National Party for their proposed gas reservation policy.

“Big thumbs up. It’s crazy that we buy back our own gas at international prices. That’s our gas. It hurts households, it hurts businesses — it is the opposite of what we should have in our country.” she said.

“On the other side, I am supportive of what the (Albanese) Government started. Slowly — but started — which is adding more renewable energy to the grid. We’ve got to get more efficient appliances into homes as well. All of those things are going to help reduce power bills … soon. ” Ms Boele stated.

Originally published as Climate 200 candidate: ‘big thumbs up’ for Dutton’s gas policy