Kooyong independent candidate Monique Ryan has criticised Josh Frydenberg for involving family in the battle for the marginal inner-Melbourne seat, after the Treasurer shared an anecdote about her mother-in-law at his campaign launch.
At the event on Sunday, Mr Frydenberg told the crowd he had shared an interaction with Dr Ryan's mother-in-law, during which she said she would be voting for him.
Dr Ryan did not dispute the interaction occurred, but told ABC Radio Melbourne her mother-in-law "believes she was misquoted in what he said".
Dr Ryan did not specify how her mother-in-law was misquoted.
She described her mother-in-law as a "formidable woman", who worked as a lawyer into her 80s, and said she was a Liberal voter.
"I respect her very much. She is, of course, entitled to her own opinion and I've never denied that," Dr Ryan said.
She said that, by telling the anecdote, Mr Frydenberg had "made fun of someone who hasn't bought into this".
Mr Frydenberg defended the anecdote, saying he recalled the interaction "word-for-word".
"I was recently approached by a nice lady on the street in Hawthorn who said she will be voting for me," he said.
"I said: 'Thank you', to which she replied: 'I'm Monique Ryan's mother-in-law'.
"I asked, [her], 'Why are you supporting me?' And her response was, 'Because you know what you're doing and you're a nice person'.
The only time he mentioned Dr Ryan by name at his launch was to recall that interaction.
The seat of Kooyong — which takes in suburbs such as Kew and Hawthorn in Melbourne's inner-east — has historically been one of the Liberal Party's safest seats.
However, it is now at risk of being lost to Dr Ryan, one of the "teal independents" whose grassroots campaigns have been partially funded by the Climate 200 group.
Dr Ryan said she was disappointed that the Treasurer had brought family into the campaign.
"At the start of this process, I took a pledge, where I said I would not attack my opponent personally, and I wouldn't involve their family in the campaign," she said.
