Bill Shorten has turned the tables on the coalition by calling on the Liberals to disendorse star candidate Tim Wilson for questioning national security laws last year.
Attorney-General George Brandis demanded the Labor leader disendorse Peta Murphy, the party's candidate for Victorian seat Dunkley, after it was revealed she supported a 2009 Liberty Victoria submission arguing against stronger terror laws.
Mr Shorten told reporters on the NSW north coast on Sunday, they were not the personal views of Ms Murphy.
Ms Murphy was a signatory to the submission provided to a parliamentary inquiry.
It argued the government shouldn't give domestic spy agency ASIO and police stronger powers, and criticised the listing of several terrorist organisations.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Bill Shorten ... continues to refuse to intervene to enforce the disendorsement of a candidate whose criticism of strong national security laws is infamous," Senator Brandis told reporters in Brisbane on Sunday.
Mr Shorten hit back arguing Ms Murphy's views were similar to Mr Wilson, a former human rights commissioner, who is running in the safe Liberal seat of Goldstein.
"If (Senator Brandis) wants to start talking about disendorsing candidates, how about Tim Wilson who questioned Mr Brandis' security laws last year," he told reporters in the northern NSW town of Kingscliff.
