Labor senator Matt Thistlethwaite has rejected claims he was involving in branch-stacking in a NSW seat held by retiring federal MP Peter Garrett.
"That's completely untrue," he told Sky News on Tuesday.
About 58 people in Senator Thistlethwaite's local branch of Malabar paid their membership fees on March 31, which was the cut-off date to be eligible to vote in this week's preselection ballot, according to News Limited publications.
Senator Thistlethwaite denied this was evidence of branch-stacking.
"I didn't recruit people to join on the same day," he said.
He said many Labor members renewed their memberships on that day because it was the deadline for fee payment.
Senator Thistlethwaite hopes to switch to the lower house by replacing Mr Garrett in the marginal Labor seat of Kingsford Smith in Sydney's south.
The seat has been held by the ALP since it was created in 1949.
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