Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has campaigned in the WA seat of Fremantle without the Liberal candidate after the political aspirant's controversial views about gay marriage and indigenous reconciliation emerged.
Sherry Sufi reportedly posted musings online - which have since been taken down - about his opposition to the apology to the Stolen Generation and the legalisation of same-sex marriage leading to polygamy.
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"I hope he's out there engaging with the people of Fremantle and doing some good door-knocking," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Henderson on Monday when asked about Mr Sufi's absence.
"It's very character-building - I've done it myself."
When asked if he shared Mr Sufi's views on same-sex marriage, Mr Turnbull replied "no, I do not".
Opposition leader Bill Shorten described Mr Sufi as "another knuckle dragger from the far right" who showed the party was divided in its views.
"Malcolm Turnbull has had a lot to say but he can't even deliver on what he says because the real people pulling the strings are people with these sort of views," Mr Shorten said.
"You had Senator (George) Brandis saying we need to disendorse someone for trumped-up reasons, then you've got these sort of fringe dwellers, the lunar right, running around the Liberal Party as their mainstream candidates."
On Sunday, Senator Brandis called on Mr Shorten to disendorse Labor's candidate for the marginal Liberal seat of Dunkley in Victoria, Peta Murphy, because she is a member of a group that has argued for weaker national security laws.
Labor last week disendorsed its original pick for the seat of Fremantle, Maritime Union of Australia organiser Chris Brown, amid claims he did not disclose his teenage convictions.
Mr Brown said that was incorrect, but the party endorsed Fremantle deputy mayor Josh Wilson as his replacement.
