Liberal candidate Simmone Cottom was caught on audio obtained by The Age telling a voter at a campaign event last weekend to "give them a go" in the upper house, referring to One Nation. In the recording, Cottom said: "I'm encouraging people to change the government. In the lower house, vote Liberals and in the upper house, vote One Nation."
When a voter expressed disinterest in One Nation, Cottom said: "Lower house, Liberals, and if you really want One Nation, give them a go in the upper house." She later stated that her party believed it could "win in our own right" and that she personally had no relationship with One Nation.
In a statement to The Age, Cottom said she regretted the comments. "I shouldn't have said it," she said. "It's not our position. We want Victorians voting Liberal and Nationals in both houses."
The incident comes five weeks before the November 28 state election, and adds to pressure on Wilson, who has faced repeated questions about how her party would deal with One Nation. Wilson has said there would be "no deals" and has urged voters to elect a Coalition government outright.
Separately, The Age reported that Liberal upper house MP Ann-Marie Hermans had been advertised as a guest speaker at a fundraiser for independent candidate Caroline White in Clarinda, a seat where the Liberal Party has endorsed John Paganis. A party spokesperson confirmed Hermans would not attend the event, saying: "She is supporting John Paganis, the Liberal candidate for Clarinda."
Sunbury is held by Labor's Josh Bull on a margin of 6.4 per cent, but is considered in play as the government braces for a significant swing, particularly in outer suburban seats where One Nation has risen. The Age's Resolve Political Monitor shows One Nation with 23 per cent primary vote, which could give the party balance of power in the upper house.