Federal election: Zali Steggall, Dr Sophie Scamps slam "fake posters"

Corflute signs have been erected overnight that suggest that Steggall and Scamps are both independents and members of The Greens.

The professionally printed signs have the colours and styling usually used by Steggall and Scamps, but these ones also feature The Greens logo and wording.

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Scamps, the independent candidate for Mackellar, said it was "more dirty tricks from Scott Morrison's Liberal Party". The Liberals have denied any involvement in the signs.

Greens candidates Kristyn Glanville (Warringah) and Ethan Hrnjak (Mackellar) have also denied any involvement.

Incumbent independent MP for Warringah, Steggall, said her "opponents are going low, very low" by erecting the "fake posters".

"This is a coordinated attack campaign targeting independents, with almost identical corflutes appearing in other electorates overnight in Hughes targeting Georgia Steele, and in Mackellar targeting Dr Sophie Scamps," she said.

Scamps said incumbent Liberal MP for Mackellar, Jason Falinski, should "take responsibility and condemn this type of deceitful campaign tactic".

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"When you don't have a track record you can stand on, or a vision for the future, this is the type of dirty tactic you have to rely on," she said.

Falinski denied any involvement and instead referred to funding Steggall and Scamps have received from Climate 200.

"Actions like this and lies like this are not going to help people find out the truth behind Climate 200," he said.

"If they want to take the low road we'll take the high road."

Liberal candidate in Warringah Katherine Deves also denied involvement.

"It certainly raises an interesting question, to whom will Steggall guarantee supply and confidence in the event of a hung parliament. The voters in Warringah deserve to know," she said.

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An Australian Electoral Commission spokesman said the signage appears to be unauthorised, and is in breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

"We are endeavouring to find information regarding who is behind the signage," he said.

The AEC also Tweeted: "We're taking this extremely seriously. If anybody has information that can help us identify who is responsible for these signs, please contact us".

Steggall said the attack strengthened her resolve to prohibit misleading or deceptive political advertising, as "I attempted to do in my Stop the Lies Bill, released last year".

Scamps said the that attack had been distressing and upsetting for her campaign volunteers and supporters.

"[This] is one of the reasons I am backing Zali Steggall's Stop the Lies Bill, which would outlaw lies in political advertising," she said.

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Hrnjak told the Northern Beaches Review that not only had The Greens been caught up in the distribution of these posters, but that corflutes The Greens had endorsed, which had erected around the intersection of Pittwater Road and Wakehurst Parkway, had been torn down and discarded.

Meanwhile, Falinski has slammed attacks on his Narrabeen office and blamed Climate 200 and GetUp! for them. The groups strongly denied any involvement.

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