Jenny O’Connor said their policies were directly opposed to illegal drugs.

But a flyer this week delivered to homes across the North East and paid under the member for Indi’s federal government printing allowance claims exactly that and quotes Ms O’Connor as a supporter under the banner of “Loopy Green Policies”.

Ms O’Connor said the attack blurred the line between state and federal politics, questioning its release in the middle of the Victorian election campaign.

Labor’s candidate in the seat John Williams, also tarred by the flyer, said it was an appalling waste of taxpayer money.

But late yesterday Mrs Mirabella wasn’t backing down saying its distribution had nothing to do with the state poll.

Ms O’Connor, who also contested the federal election against Mrs Mirabella, said the member for Indi was treating her and voters like fools.

“There is a state campaign on and the comments are targeted at me — why isn’t she talking about what other candidates in the federal poll — Zuvele Leschen and Mark Carey,” she said.

“I’m a candidate in a state campaign and I can only assume that is why she is doing it.

“As a mother of young teenagers, a member of the school board and health worker I think this is a slur against me to have my name associated with legalising illicit drugs,

“It says very clearly in our policy that we do not condone the use of illicit drugs nor do we wish to legalise their use.

“The one thing that Sophie has picked up on is that in some unique cases cannabis has proven effective in the relief of pain for people with cancer and we believe that they should have the right to that drug in those circumstances.

“I’m also curious about who is funding this, it seems Bill Tilley is accessing federal money to help with his campaign.

“Is he hiding behind her skirt because he is not game to come out and say this personally?”

Mrs Mirabella denied the claims were misleading and said they were on the Greens website.

“The Greens like to hide what they are really about,” she said.

“They have a motherhood statement about not legalising illegal drugs but they contradict themselves on their own website, in their own policy by saying they support prescribed heroin trials, cannabis use.

“The only thing misleading is they are hiding their social policy behind a friendly Green facade.”

Mr Williams also questioned the timing of the flyer’s distribution.

“It appears that the federal member for Indi is using her government allowance to finance a state campaign,” he said.