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Man in viral Liberal Party 'fake tradie' advertisement is confirmed as a fair dinkum metalworker

A man at the centre of a Liberal Party advertisement which went viral for all the wrong reasons, whom the nation was quick to label a “fake tradie” has finally been confirmed a real metalworker.

Parody memes, Twitter accounts, and even a video from worker’s union CFMEU, popped up overnight after the 30-second commercial aired on Sunday, with the ‘tradie’ telling viewers to “stick with the current mob”.

The man labelled a 'fake tradie' has been confirmed a real one.
The man labelled a 'fake tradie' has been confirmed a real one.

"Mr Shorten wants to go to war with my bank, he wants to go to war with miners,” he says in the video.

"Bill Shorten even wants to go to war with someone like me, who wants to get ahead with an investment property.

"Well, I'll tell you what happens when you get a war going on the economy - people like me lose their jobs.

"So I reckon we should just see it through and stick with the current mob for a while."

Social media users poked holes at the Malcolm Turnbull government’s advertisement, questioning the hi-vis wearing man's authenticity.

Critics were quick to note his $7,000 Jag watch, clean hands and safety of the worksite featured in the video.

The row set off a manhunt to track down the man in the advertisement, credited as Andrew MacRae, to find out if he was in fact a real tradie.

Sydney voiceover artist Andrew MacRae was wrongly identified and quickly dismissed his involvement in a Tweet.

The identity of the ‘real’ Andrew MacRae was revealed on Tuesday, to be a 50-year-old ute-driving Sydney metalworker, who revealed his New South Wales government contractor's licence to the Daily Mail to prove it.

The licensed metal fabricator and former electrical supervisor has been running his own small business, Teamwork Maintenance, for 20 years and lives in a modest house in Sydney's Lane Cove.

After the #faketradie went viral on social media on Monday, a Liberal Party spokesman confirmed Mr MacRae was a “real tradie”.

Mr MacRae told the Daily Mail he had signed a contract with the Liberal Party, which prevented him from talking to the media.