Independent candidate for Bradfield, Nicolette Boele, has issued an apology after making an inappropriate joke to a 19-year-old female hairdresser, admitting it was a failed attempt at humour.
Boele, who is running as a community-backed independent in Sydney’s north shore, was allegedly banned from the local salon, Envy Room, after remarking to the hairdresser: “That was so good, and I didn’t even have sex with you,” following a hair wash.
The incident, first reported by Ben Fordham on 2GB, threatens to derail Boele’s campaign as she makes her second attempt to claim the traditionally safe Liberal seat of Bradfield. At the last federal election, she came close to unseating long-term Liberal MP Paul Fletcher, who later announced his retirement in December, forcing the party to find a new candidate.
Boele Acknowledges Poor Judgment
In a statement, Boele did not deny making the comment.
“It was a poor attempt at humour, and I’ve apologised,” she said. “Everyone deserves to feel respected in their workplace, and I’ll do better.”
The controversy surfaced after Fordham received an email from the husband of an Envy Room customer, who said the remark was made at the salon, located across from Boele’s campaign office on the Pacific Highway.
“If that was a man saying that, there would and should be an investigation,” the email to Fordham read.
The salon’s management has reportedly informed Boele in writing that she is no longer welcome at the business. However, Boele’s spokesperson has not confirmed whether a formal legal notice was issued. Envy Room owner Betty Vu declined to comment on the matter.
Tight Race in Bradfield
Bradfield has been held by the Liberals since its creation in 1949, with Fletcher representing the electorate since 2009. However, Boele’s strong performance in 2022 turned it into a marginal seat. This time, she faces Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian, a former political staffer and Salesforce executive who was initially preselected for North Sydney before that electorate was abolished in a boundary redistribution.
Boele has kept her campaign office in Gordon, continuing to brand herself as the “Bradfield community independent.” Her team claims to have mobilised over 1,100 volunteers, including supporters from teal MP Kylea Tink’s former North Sydney campaign. Tink will not contest the upcoming May 3 election following the abolition of her electorate.
The campaign is heating up, with Bradfield now plastered with Boele’s election signage. However, controversy struck again last week when Ku-ring-gai Council removed some of her corflute signs from a volunteer’s home. Boele’s legal team has since sent a letter to the council demanding an explanation.
A council spokesperson responded, stating: “NSW planning laws only allow electoral signs on private property once an election date has been set.”
With the race in Bradfield shaping up to be one of the most competitive in the country, it remains to be seen whether this controversy will impact Boele’s chances or if voters will look past the misstep.
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