WARRINGAH MP Zali Steggall has slammed her Liberals rival Katherine Deves, for recruiting her ex-husband's wife Bridie Nolan in her election campaign.
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Nolan is a high-profile barrister and is married to Steggall's ex-husband David Cameron, and the Northern Beaches Review understands they live outside the electorate.
"I find it personally distasteful that my opponent and the Liberal campaign, are using extended members of my separated family," Steggall told the NBR.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that neither Deves or the Liberal Party would confirm Nolan's exact role, but she has accompanied Deves to recent events. Seven Liberal Party sources describe her as a "campaign manager" or said Nolan had been described to them as a campaign manager.
The SMH also reports that long-term Liberal Party member Sandra Blackmore, said Nolan had introduced herself as Deves' campaign manager at a recent Liberal Party event at Bayview Golf Club.
The NBR understands that Lee Furlong, who is the president of the Warringah Federal Electorate Conference, would ordinarily be campaign director.
Meanwhile, Steggall has called on Deves to be disendorsed after it was revealed she has made homophobic comments, and has targeted transgender children in now deleted social media posts.
"The fact that she deleted her previous social media accounts shows that she knew just how toxic, ill-informed and offensive her comments and views were," Steggall said.
"Her appalling and divisive comments were well known before the Prime Minister selected her, which begs the question - what did he already know? He either knew her views and selected her anyway, or he wasn't properly informed and made a flawed decision. It's either deliberately offensive or a sign of incompetence."
Ms Steggall said Prime Minister Scott Morrison has no option but to abandon the candidate and disendorse her.
"Her personal selection as the Liberal candidate is a sad reflection on the moral compass of the Prime Minister," she said. "He made an appalling captain's call and now should correct it by demonstrating some integrity and sacking her as a candidate.
"The division she is creating and the hatred she is perpetrating is not consistent with the Warringah I know, our community is a caring, tolerant, inclusive place."
The NSW Liberals and Mr Furlong did not respond to NBR's request for comment.
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Nadine Morton
I report on crime, emergency services and police matters. Email me on nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
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