Heated moment roadside war erupts over 'illegal' political signs (2025)

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A heated argument erupted as two men were filmed erecting signson roadside power poles for a political candidate.

Footage taken by a member of the public shows the pair using a step ladder to put up election posters for Nicolette Boele.

The Climate 200-supported independent is running for the Liberal held seat of Bradfield on Sydney's north shorethe upcoming May 3 election.

'What your problem?' one of the men asked the person filming the incident.

'I have a problem with the sign being up a pole,' the resident replied.

He followed the pair to the next telegraph pole and asked whether they had been paid to post the signs, prompting the men to ask for 'respect' and appearing to try to block the resident's camera.

The men then threatened to call the police before walking away.

'Go ahead. Please do. Please call them,' the resident replied.

The footage emergeddays after a similar video appeared to show supporters posting signs along the Pacific Highway and telling a resident to 'f*** off'.

It comes asAusgrid issued a warning that election posterson power poles posed 'a serious safety risk and is against the law'.

The electricity distribution company has ordered nine candidates and MPs in recent days to take down the promotional material from their electricity infrastructure.

Ms Boele was among those to receive a letter after Ausgrid was inundated with complaints, The Daily Telegraph reported.

'You are required to remove the material within the areas specified above,' the letter read.

'If you fail and/or refuse to comply with this notice by the time, Ausgrid will carry out the works itself, and will recover its costs of carrying out the works and repairing any damage done to Ausgrid's electrical assets from you as a debt.'

Candidates were also warned they would need to engage an accredited service provider to remove the posters.

The largest number of complaints to Ausgrid were in the seats of Bradfield and Wentworth, which is currently held by teal independent Allegra Spender.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Boele and the Climate-200 organisation for comment.

The organisation previously denied involvement in the corflute scandal.

The latest election drama comes as the Australian Electoral Commission launched an investigation into an unauthorised campaign pamphlet that claims to 'expose' Ms Spender.

More than 47,000 flyers without authorisation have been distributed in the Wentworth electorate in Sydney's affluent eastern suburbs.

The flyer claims it is 'produced by the people of Wentworth, for the people of Wentworth', but a lack of official authorisation means voters do not know where its information is sourced from, putting the pamphlets in breach of Australia's main election law.

The flyer also claimed Ms Spender had 'misled the electorate on her positions'.

After receiving complaints about the documents, the AEC has launched an investigation and is working to identify and contact those responsible, who could face thousands of dollars in fines.

'The AEC takes these matters very seriously,' it said in a statement.

Ms Spender hit out at the 'dirty' campaign tricks on Monday, describing the flyers as 'false, misleading and offensive' and urged anyone with information to come forward.

'Australians are asking for people to provide solutions and a vision of the future not to run negative and unlawful smear campaigns,' she said

'This is what turns people off politics.

'We must do better.'

She urged local political organisations and residents to help identify those behind the pamphlets.

Ms Spender was one of the many 'teal' independents who took the Liberals by surprise and won their electorates in 2022 by campaigning on climate action and integrity in politics.

Wentworth was previously held by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull for 24 years before Kerryn Phelps and Dave Sharma served terms.

Sydney

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