Nat passes off party site as 'independent'

A NSW Nationals MP has told constituents a party-run website designed to look like a regional news outlet contains articles written by "an independent journalist".

The countryreport.com.au website, which features articles criticising Labor tax policies and a piece titled "Farmers Under Attack From South Australian Pollies", has been operating since at least December 2018.

The website - which Labor labelled as "fake news" - contains a disclosure at the bottom of each page stating: "The Country Report is a publication of the National Party of New South Wales".

Despite this, NSW Nationals MP Andrew Fraser on Facebook told a constituent an article titled "Labor Asked to 'Please Explain' on Shooters Deal" was "not written by us but by an independent journalist".

The Country Report, which doesn't display Nationals colours or logos, has published one story with the byline of upper house MP Sarah Mitchell and an excerpt of a parliamentary speech given by colleague Bronnie Taylor.

The eight other articles on the website contain no byline or information as to who wrote them.

Asked whether it was misleading for Mr Fraser to be telling voters that articles are being written by an independent journalist when they are being published by a Nationals website, a party spokesman told AAP: "You'd have to ask Andrew."

Asked whether Mr Fraser's comment was correct or not, the party did not respond.

Opposition finance spokesman Clayton Barr on Friday said it was "deeply disturbing" that the Nationals had been caught spreading "fake news".

"Regional NSW shouldn't accept this kind of behaviour," he said in a statement.

"These are desperate and unethical tactics."

The website's domain is registered to the NSW National Party, while the registrant contact shares the same name as a party employee.

That employee also has the same name as the daughter of a federal Nationals MP.

Mr Fraser's office has been contacted for comment.