Peta Credlin has blasted Tony Windsor as sexist for suggesting she "always made a nice cup of tea" during the 2010 hung parliament.
In an interview with Sky News, Tony Abbott's former chief of staff criticised Mr Windsor as someone who had "played it pretty dirty" as the pitched battle for the seat of New England intensifies.
"He's never been a person, in my time, to have played a clean game," she said.
The independent candidate and former MP took to Twitter last night to return fire, ridiculing Ms Credlin's role and effectiveness following the 2010 election, which resulted in Australia's first hung parliament since 1940.
"I was never too important that I couldn't make a cup of tea in the office, but this is just a put-down from a man who has got rat cunning," she said.
"He doesn't deserve another go in parliament. He should be hung, drawn and quartered for what he did in that hung parliament and what he delivered Australia.
"[He] takes no responsibility for it and and he's got the hide to put his hand up and say 'give me another go'."
Ms Credlin said there were double-standards when it came to politics in Australia: "I'm waiting for the feminist collective to come out and criticise Tony Windsor ... everyone seems to jump on the bandwagon if a comment is made about a woman on the other side."
"But right-wing women like me aren't allowed to have opinions?"
With less than four days until Australia goes to the polls, campaigning in the regional electorate has become increasingly ugly.
Earlier this week, Mr Windsor claimed a NSW Nationals attack ad inferred he was a "philanderer" and demanded for its withdrawal. Barnaby Joyce used Facebook to declare that one of his billboards was defaced in a "vicious and false attack."
Mr Windsor is also seeking legal advice over a front-page newspaper story that alleged he was a schoolyard bully.
In a statement, Mr Windsor said he would not be responding to "gutter journalism" and it should "be seen in the context of a very close election campaign for the seat of New England."
But Ms Credlin, who is a Sky News contributor and News Corp columnist, said that scrutiny "at the tail end of a tough campaign" was "fair enough."
Fellow Sky News broadcaster Paul Murray previously used his show to criticise Mr Windsor for suggesting a former political ally withdrew his support partly because of his experiences during the Vietnam War.
.@PMOnAir on @TonyHWindsor's treatment of a former friend and Vietnam vet #pmlive https://t.co/Ivk15c9Yzx — Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) June 22, 2016
A recent Newspoll put incumbent Barnaby Joyce marginally ahead, 51 per cent to 49 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
