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Bill Shorten Beats Comedian Peter Helliar In A 'Hi-Viz Race' In Melbourne

The Melbourne funny man has been travelling with the Labor leader.

The election campaign's "fake tradie" theme shows no sign of abating, with opposition leader Bill Shorten getting in on the act on Tuesday.

And it looks like things are getting even sillier.

After the advertisement-inspired controversy of the last couple of days, Shorten today raced comedian Peter Helliar to see who was the fastest at putting on a high-vis vest.

The stunt took place in the Labor-held Melbourne seat of Issacs where Shorten has been travelling with Helliar on the Labor campaign bus.

Helliar, who's a panelist on Channel 10's The Project, has been labelled a "fake journo" and his appearance with the Labor leader comes in the wake of the debate surrounding the coalition's much maligned campaign ad.

Earlier this week speculation swirled that the "tradie" featured in the ad was actually a Sydney voice actor because he wears an expensive-looking watch and talks about investment property.

But it was confirmed on Tuesday that the man featured is actually welder Andrew MacRae, who lives in the Sydney suburb of Lane Cove.

Despite his tradie bona fides, MacRae's appearance has launched a wave responses on the internet under the hashtag "real tradies".

It has also prompted responses from other politicans like Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party senator Ricky Muir and independent senator Jacqui Lambie, who called for people to focus on more important things.

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