Liberal candidate Stephanie Asher’s election billboard driven past Anzac Day service

A Liberal Party candidate has come under fire after a billboard emblazoned with a giant picture of her face was driven past an Anzac Day service.

A Liberal Party candidate has come under fire after a billboard emblazoned with a giant picture of her face was driven past an Anzac Day service.

A spokesman for Stephanie Asher, the party’s candidate for Corangamite, apologised on Monday after the ad passed by the service in Drysdale several times, the Geelong Advertiser reported.

Footage shared online shows the mobile billboard driving past a crowd of people paying their respects to fallen soldiers.

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Asher billboard

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Liberal candidate for the seat of Corangamite. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Ian Currie

“We were at the Cenotaph at 10.30am, and the van came up the main street heading towards Portarlington, you could see the driver visibly looked over and saw all of us,” local Brendan Tenson said.

“Then it did a U-ey and came back the other way and went even slower, then did another lap out.”

“The people close to me were shaking their heads. I thought it was distasteful for what we were doing.”

Commenters online said the drive-by was “disgusting” and “a low act, even for a politician”.

A spokesman for Ms Asher said: “Today a mistake was made.

“The driver of a rental truck hired as part of our campaign was unaware his regular route would pass by today’s Anzac service in Drysdale.

“He immediately left the vicinity without stopping. Nonetheless, we acknowledge the inappropriateness of the truck’s presence and apologise unreservedly.”