A second Liberal-authorised attack flyer has surfaced in the Nepean by-election, this time targeting Tracee Hutchison with an attempt to brand the independent candidate as “Jacinta Allan’s secret Nepean candidate”.
The new material, obtained by STPL News, is not a positive pitch for Anthony Marsh. It is another direct hit on a rival candidate.
That is now the pattern in Nepean. While other candidates and parties are trying to win support, the Liberal Party is spending campaign effort trying to discredit and diminish its opponents.
Second Liberal Attack Flyer Emerges
This is no longer a one-off.
Earlier, Liberal-authorised material surfaced targeting One Nation candidate Darren Hercus. Now a second flyer has emerged, broadening the attack to Tracee Hutchison.
Rather than building a constructive case for Anthony Marsh, the Liberal campaign is again reaching for negative material aimed at cutting down a rival.
Hutchison Is An Independent, Not A Labor Candidate
The central attack line falls over on the basic facts.
ABC’s current Nepean by-election candidate list records Tracee Hutchison as an Independent candidate, not a Labor candidate. The same ABC profile says her campaign is backed by Independents for Mornington Peninsula. The current published candidate list includes Libertarian, Greens, One Nation, Independent, Liberal and Reform AU candidates, with no Labor candidate listed.
That leaves the Liberal line looking less like legitimate scrutiny and more like an attempt to drag a state-level scare campaign into a race where Hutchison is running as an independent.
The Marsh Irony Is Hard To Miss
There is also an obvious political irony in the attack.
STPL News previously reported that leaked messages published by the Herald Sun appeared to show Anthony Marsh backing Labor’s Paul Mercurio during the 2022 state election in Hastings, including messages saying “I hope Paul gets it!!!” and that he was “stoked for Paul”. Marsh said at the time that, as mayor, it was important to work with all levels of government. STPL News also reported that Labor had chosen not to field a candidate in the Nepean by-election.
That makes this new flyer harder to take seriously. The Liberals are trying to weaponise a Labor association against an independent candidate while running a candidate who has already faced scrutiny over his own reported support for a Labor MP.
A Bitter Campaign, Not A Positive One
What now makes the Liberal campaign stand out in Nepean is not a strong positive message. It is the bitterness of the approach.
While other candidates are trying to win prospective votes, the Liberal Party is using campaign material to knock down opponents. First Darren Hercus. Now Tracee Hutchison.
That is the real story. Instead of offering voters a clear positive reason to back Anthony Marsh, the Liberals are leaning into a combative campaign built around attacking rival candidates.
For a party trying to hold Nepean, it is a tactic that reeks of desperation and risks telling voters more about Liberal nerves than Liberal solutions.
STPL News has contacted Tracee Hutchison for comment.
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