But it is also true that if you throw enough of it then some of it will come right back at you.

And thus it is with Sophie Mirabella and the Liberal Party in the seat of Indi.

To my mind Mirabella was a shoe-in at next week’s election. That is until this week, and now I am not so sure after seeing the television ads, criticising “Cathy (McGowan)” and her voting record.

The first thing I was told when I was in the advertising game was to never mention the opposition and certainly never criticise them – otherwise your prospective client would wonder what they have got and why you are so scared of them.

And surely the announcement on Thursday that the Coalition will pour $10 million into the electorate if elected is proof of the value of having an independent.

Or will the Coalition spit the dummy once again and not stick to its commitment if Mirabella or Marty Corboy do not win the seat, which apparently is what happened after the result of the last election with the Wangaratta Hospital missing out because Mirabella lost.

But if the Coalition is demanding answers as to how McGowan will vote in the future, especially in relation to supply – which is a bit rich after the events of 1975 – Mirabella needs to answer a few questions herself.

For example who did she vote for in the Nelson-Turnbull leadership battles, on both occasions, and who did she vote for in the Abbott-Turnbull contests, again on both occasions?

Why are those questions important?

Well, because the former Prime Minister is hanging around like a bad smell and there is a likelihood of Abbott making another challenge for the leadership of the Liberals – producing the same chaos of the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd era, something the Coalition made a lot of political mileage from. Abbott was a guest at her wedding to Greg Mirabella – a good bloke who is heavily involved with local agriculture - along with Bronwyn Bishop and the late Alby Schultz.

On Monday, Herald Sun columnist Andrew Bolt claimed “Few conservatives actively support Turnbull but feel there is no alternative, except, perhaps in the Senate”. He also described Turnbull as “backstabbing leftist” and “This man is not and never will be a true Liberal leader”.

Of course, the opening paragraph to the column “Conservatives must now admit it. Whatever we (italics added) think of that backstabbing leftist Malcolm Turnbull…” which gives an insight into the balance of the column. Although to be fair, I have never made any secret of the fact I am – mostly - a conservative voter, although I did endorse McGowan at the last election, which is something I have also done for Sussan Ley at every election I have written about.

So does Mirabella agree with Bolt? Will she, unreservedly, support Turnbull in any leadership challenge by Abbott?

Mirabella also claims to have gained an enormous amount of money for her electorate. So tell us the figures, where it was spent and prove that it would not have happened without your lobbying.

Voters have the choice of three conservative candidates for this election: Mirabella, Corboy and McGowan - the latter having a long history in agriculture and with the Liberal Party. It would not surprise to see the likeable Corboy get up – especially if a lot of Nationals’ supporters are likely to give their preferences to anyone but Mirabella.