Election 2022: Power pole fracas for Allegra Spender on way to the poll

Ausgrid is forced to take down campaign material belonging to Allegra Spender after she refused to remove posters and corflutes from power poles.

An Allegra Spender campaign poster in Rose Bay in Sydney’s east. Picture: John Appleyard

Ausgrid has been forced to take down campaign material belonging to the independent candidate for Wentworth Allegra Spender after she refused to remove the posters and corflutes from power poles in the electorate.

Incumbent Liberal MP Dave Sharma said it was hypocritical of Ms Spender to campaign on integrity but refuse to comply with rules around campaign material.

Ms Spender less than two-weeks ago said she would remove the election campaign material from the poles after being approached by Ausgrid.

The daughter of former Liberal frontbencher John Spender and late fashion designer Carla Zampatti said on Thursday she’d received legal advice that she was under no obligation to remove her corflutes from power poles in the eastern suburbs.

She said her campaign was being “picked out” because of complaints made by the Liberal Party, and said previous campaigns had allowed campaign material on power poles.

“We were advised by a Senior Counsel that the campaign was not in breach of the Electricity Supply Act and (we were) not under any immediate obligation to remove the signs,” she said.

“We were also advised the Electricity Supply Act does not currently entitle Ausgrid to remove corflutes. For community candidates who do not have party infrastructure and electorate office funding, corflutes are a central campaign element,” she said.

It is understood Ausgrid workers began removing corflutes from power poles in the electorate on Wednesday. Of the 70 removed, about 95 per cent belonged to Ms Spender.

“It’s the height of hypocrisy to campaign on integrity and higher standards and then go flouting the law and ignoring directions which are there for everyone’s safety,” Mr Sharma said.

“The independent candidate promised two weeks ago that she would comply with Ausgrid’s ­direction and remove her signs.

“But instead she has left it to Ausgrid employees to do this task for her, in the rain. I’m sure they have many more important and critical tasks to do.”

An Ausgrid spokeswoman said it was an offence to interfere with electricity assets, which ­included attaching campaign ­material to power poles without prior approval, for safety reasons.

“We have commenced removal of election campaign material on power poles,” she said.

Sources said Ms Spender’s campaign team had initially agreed to remove the campaign material after asking for more to take down the corflutes but backtracked at the last minute.