Former Liberal leader Andrew Peacock has been slammed by Labor for his "mean spirited" jibe that disabled people would not be able to understand the election campaign.
Mr Peacock said on Monday he was confident of a coalition victory at the August 21 poll.
"You'd need to be pretty handicapped not to appreciate that this (Labor) government is dissolving before your eyes daily," he told ABC 24.
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The comments were soon jumped on by Labor.
"To say that just because a person is in a wheelchair, or can't see or hear, that they are unable to have a political opinion is mean-spirited and shows a huge contempt for people with impairments," Labor's parliamentary secretary for disability Bill Shorten said in a statement.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott needed to immediately distance himself from Mr Peacock, Mr Shorten said.
"If he does not come out and condemn the statement immediately, it will prove he still does not take disability issues seriously."
Mr Peacock is in Melbourne and will, on Monday, launch the campaign of Liberal candidate Josh Frydenberg in the safe coalition seat of Kooyong.
