Christopher Pyne says Rebekha Sharkie has questions to answer over sacking campaign volunteer accused of stalking Georgina Downer

A senior Coalition minister says Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie must explain why she took so long to fire a campaign volunteer who allegedly stalked her Liberal rival Georgina Downer.

Georgina Downer and Rebekha Sharkie at a community forum in Stirling. Picture: Calum Robertson

Mayo MP Rebekha Sharkie has serious questions to answer over the time taken to sack a campaign volunteer charged with allegedly stalking her Liberal rival Georgina Downer, says Defence Minister Christopher Pyne.

In the latest episode of an Advertiser election podcast, Mr Pyne seized on reports Ms Sharkie may have been told about a police complaint about a week before the campaign volunteer was arrested on April 24.

The Liberal Party informed Ms Sharkie’s office on April 18 that a stalking complaint had been made to police the previous day, while the accused volunteer also said he told Ms Sharkie of the complaint at about the same date, ABC Adelaide presenter David Bevan reported yesterday.

Ms Sharkie did not directly respond to Advertiser questions about when she or her staff were told and the volunteer was removed from her campaign. Through a spokeswoman, she said she “acted immediately when advised”.

FEDERAL ELECTION PODCAST: PYNE & ELLIS

Mr Pyne, the outgoing Sturt MP, said: “Rebekha Sharkie does have serious questions to answer about the accountability measures in her campaign and how she intends to repair those so that incidents of this kind, if they’re true, don’t happen again. They have to take responsibility at the end of the day.”

Mr Pyne accused independents and minor parties of attempting to argue they could not be held to similar standards as the major parties.

“Volunteers get up to mischief but you have to take responsibility for that if you want to be playing in the major leagues,” he said.

“I think it reminds people that independents are a risk.”

But outgoing Labor MP for Adelaide Kate Ellis said hundreds of people came out of the woodwork to volunteer for federal seat campaigns, often inspired by particular issues and wanting to help.

“You can’t vet all of those people,” Ms Ellis said. “What is important is that you have processes in place and you deal with things when they arise.

“But I don’t think you can hold the candidate responsible for what every one of those hundreds of people do, otherwise no one would ever let anyone help them.”

Ms Sharkie’s spokeswoman referred to her earlier statement, in which she said: “Allegations of this nature are extremely serious and this person has been told in clear terms that they cannot be a part of my campaign in any capacity.”

On April 26, an SA Police spokesman said a 63-year-old man from Aldgate was arrested and charged with stalking on April 24. He was bailed to appear in the Mt Barker Magistrates Court on May 22.

Ms Downer has not commented on the matter.