Election advertising in Tasmania and South Australia has become so tasteless and disgusting that the Australian Greens are seeking to avoid a repeat at the next federal election.
Greens leader Bob Brown wants to introduce legislation which would ensure election advertising is not misleading.
He also wants an independent commissioner for integrity in politics.
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'Independent arbiter' needed
"I believe we very badly need an independent arbiter for some of the nastiness and fraudulent behaviour we see creeping into politics," he told parliament on Wednesday.
He criticised the South Australia Labor party for running advertising against Liberal leader Isobel Redmond which implies she supports illegal drug use and is soft on murderers in prison.
"I found those attacks ads from Labor are not just tasteless but misrepresented her," Senator Brown said.
"They are disgusting and are aimed at getting people to change their votes on the false premise of fitting out a woman who has integrity."
Automated calls
He also raised attacks by Labor on the his party in Tasmania, which he said resulted in a nine-year-old receiving an automated call suggesting the Greens planned to legalise heroin.
The girl reportedly then asked her mother what heroin was.
Liberal senator Simon Birmingham attacked the SA Labor Party for preferencing the Independent Climate Sceptics over a group standing on a platform of saving the Royal Adelaide Hospital in the state's upper house.
Doctors who care about the health system were not worthy of Labor preferences and those preferences distorted the will of voters, he said.
Meanwhile, Labor senator Annette Hurley accused Liberal Party operatives of making sure SA Liberal leader Isobel Redmond was kept out of the media spotlight to avoid scrutiny.
