Mark Byatt has apologised to independent candidate Helen Haines for an "unauthorised" National Party tweet directed at her, but has not revealed who was responsible.
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He called Dr Haines on Monday morning, the day after someone from the party falsely claimed "she wasn't anywhere to be seen on #AnzacDay or expressed her acknowledgment of their sacrifice".
She had in fact been at services in Wangaratta and Wodonga on the day.
"I'm not aware of the tweet itself, I haven't seen the tweet," Mr Byatt said.
"I felt that it was only right that I should contact Helen directly and apologise.
"We'll look at it internally to make sure it doesn't happen again."
The post came from the official Indi National Party, but the account has since been deleted.
"That's not the way we operate and that's not the way we'll operate going forward," Mr Byatt said.
The pair shook hands and spoke again when meeting outside the Wangaratta pre-poll voting centre on Monday.
Dr Haines said she accepted and appreciated the apology, but the "testy times" of an election campaign brought out the truth in people.
"It's really important on my behalf to call out bad behaviour from any political party when words are said that aren't true and particularly accusations made on a day as important and as solemn as Anzac Day," she said.
"Irrespective of who typed the tweet, it came out on the official National Party twitter account and one has to take responsibility of what's being tweeted."
The independent candidate has signed the "politicians pledge", promising the abide by the ethics of good behaviour during the campaign and has called on fellow candidates to do the same.
"The thing I've heard so clearly from voters on the ground is that they're really tired of dirty tricks, they're really tired of a lack of integrity in Parliament," Dr Haines said.
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