Tasmanian Liberals claim PUP ad illegal

Tasmania's Liberals are calling for Palmer United Party (PUP) officials to be prosecuted over an election advertisement.

The Liberals have complained about a newspaper ad that brands state leader Will Hodgman, Labor premier Lara Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim the "three amigos".

The complaint says Tasmania's electoral act outlaws the publishing of candidates photos in election material without their permission.

"Given the egregious nature of this breach of the Act, I would be grateful if you would take immediate steps to commence a prosecution," Liberal state director Sam McQuestin writes in the complaint to the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC).

The PUP ad features a "Wanted" poster with pictures of the three leaders and includes the claim: "Labor and Liberals have let the Greens run wild since the 1980s".

It is authorised by Tasmanian senator-elect Jacqui Lambie.

The state's electoral commissioner, Julian Type, said he would assess the complaint.

"As described to me, potentially that advertisement has breached that section of the Act," Mr Type told AAP.

The maximum penalty for a breach is 12 months' jail or a fine of $39,000.

"It's way too early to speculate as to who may be liable," Mr Type said.

PUP founder Clive Palmer was blaming News Corp Australia whose paper, The Mercury, published the ad.

Mr Palmer said his party had an arrangement where News Corp lawyers checked that election ads complied with the law.

"It's just a set-up from Rupert Murdoch and his boys in Tassie that don't like us," Mr Palmer said.

News Corp said advertisers agreed that responsibility rested with them when they agreed to the company's terms and conditions.

"The ad was booked by the Palmer United Party through our interstate office," a Newscorp statement said.

"It was 100 per cent supplied and created by them."

Mr Palmer said he was unconcerned Ms Lambie, who will enter the senate in July, could face a heavy penalty, and was standing by the ad's content.

"They're all working together - that's all that ad says and I stand by that," he said.