Keneally cops lawyer letter from independent over ‘misleading’ ad

Solicitors for Fowler local Dai Le have sent Labor parachute candidate Kristina Keneally a concerns notice after a Facebook ad was posted claiming Independent Ms Le is really a Liberal.

Independent candidate for Fowler Dai Le has slapped her rival Kristina Keneally with a legal “concerns notice” after the former premier’s Facebook page posted an ad Ms Le says implies she is a Liberal.

A screenshot of the ad in question shows a photo of Dai Le and Prime Minister Scott Morrison with the words “Dai Le and Scott Morrison: Don’t risk a Liberal government.”

A caption on the ad, which appeared as “sponsored” content on Facebook via Kristina Keneally’s verified page, read “A vote for Dai Le is a vote for Scott Morrison and the Liberal Party.”

“Dai Le claims to be independent, but she has close links to Scott Morrison and the Liberals.”

In the letter to Ms Keneally, solicitors acting for Ms Le claim, “the Facebook advertisement in question is clearly defamatory and fraudulent.”

Independent candidate for Fowler Dai Le. Picture: Damian Shaw

A Facebook ad from Kristina Keneally's campaign for Fowler which Independent Dai Le claims is misleading.

“They are designed to mislead and confused the public into falsely believing that our client represents the Liberal Party at the 2022 election.”

The letter goes on to point out that Ms Le was expelled from the Liberals in 2016 and that her campaign is being supported by former Labor member and Fairfield City mayor Frank Carbone.

Labor candidate Kristina Keneally. Picture: Liam Kidston

Ms Le is also not preferencing the Coalition with how to vote cards being handed out by her campaign putting the Liberals fourth out of seven candidates.

Data from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, shows that the ad targeted an audience of between 100,000 and 500,000 people and has had between 10,000 and 15,000 impressions, or views.

Ms Keneally’s office has been contacted for comment.