Prime Minister Scott Morrison has described an email anonymously sent to voters in the Wentworth electorate, which claimed that independent candidate Dr Kerryn Phelps was pulling out of the race because she had discovered she has HIV, as disgraceful.

“I think it’s disgraceful. I think it’s outrageous.” Morrison told reporters in Canberra this morning.

The email was sent to voters and falsely claimed that Dr Phelps had recently discovered she had HIV and was pulling out of the contest. The email encouraged people to vote for Liberal candidate Dave Sharma instead.

The Prime Minister said he’d be horrified if he discovered the email was in any way linked to the Liberal party.

“I’d be horrified if it did… that’s the ugly side of Australian politics and has no place in any such contest.” Prime Minister Morrison said.

The Wentworth by-election is of great importance to the government because if it loses the seat formerly held by toppled Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull it will slip into being a minority government.  Voters in Wentworth go to the polls on Saturday.

OIP Staff