First it was misogyny. Now it's death.
The political battle for the electorate of Mandurah in WA's south has taken another unusual turn, just weeks after Liberal candidate David Forbes threw in the towel over comments he made suggesting women were often "office Nazis."
This time it's Labor's turn - with malicious rumours for the wellbeing of sitting Labor MP David Templeman circulating on social media suggesting he is dying of cancer and won't contest the ballot.
But Mr Templeman is very much alive and well, and took to Facebook this week to say the classic line "news of my demise is greatly exaggerated."
In a lengthy post, he said this not the first time a whispering campaign of this type had been launched against him.
"Let me be totally frank. I am as fit as a Mallee Bull," he said.
"Now I am now even more determined to beat the Liberals and the Barnett Government."
And rather than be knocked off his stride because of the rumours, Mr Templeman said he had stepped up his campaign as a result.
"If they thought this was going to have a negative effect, they were wrong, it's done the opposite," he said.
"I reckon I've door-knocked about a hundred extra houses today because of it."
Mr Templeman said he would commence legal action against those responsible if he discovered who was spreading the rumours.
Supporters have been quick to rally to his defence, with one writing "Hard to soar like an eagle when you have to work with turkeys my friend," while another wrote "Slagging you off is all they have DT. Keep up the good work mate."