An independent candidate for former foreign minister Julie Bishop's safe seat has been caught out using a fake poll to claim the Liberal party was facing a huge swing against it.
Louise Stewart released to The Weekend West the results of a poll she said was done by UComms for ReachTEL in the blue-ribbon seat of Curtin.
The poll showed Liberal candidate Celia Hammond was facing a swing against her of 20 per cent.
But ReachTEL founder and UComms co-owner James Stewart told The West Australian the company had not done any Curtin-specific research this election.
"We don't have any records for a poll conducted in that electorate on those dates," Mr Stewart said.
He said he was concerned "about the fact we have got a doctored poll out there in the marketplace and they think they can get away with it."
Ms Stewart in a statement from her campaign manager said the results had been provided by a third party.
"The campaign accepted those results in good faith," the statement to The West said.
"We are working with Reach-TEL to ascertain if and how an error has occurred."
