Treasurer Josh Frydenberg accepts Sky News Australia’s People’s Forum in Victorian seat of Kooyong with Monique Ryan

The Treasurer has challenged Monique Ryan to front two public debates, but the independent has only accepted Sky News Australia’s offer as she declined a similar proposal from a major television network.

Josh Frydenberg has challenged Monique Ryan to accept the offer of a second public debate she initially declined as he agreed to front a Sky News Australia People’s Forum with the independent he labelled as “fake”.

The Treasurer was pressed on whether he would agree to a debate in the Victorian seat of Kooyong after Dr Ryan accepted the offer from Sky’s Chief Political Reporter Kieran Gilbert to answer the questions of undecided voters in the electorate next week.

Ms Ryan shared on Twitter she agreed to the debate and proposed an invitation to her opponent on whether he was willing to face questions from his community.

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Mr Frydenberg confirmed to First Edition host Peter Stefanovic he was “happy” to do both Sky News Australia and Channel Nine’s forums.

“I’m prepared to accept both offers of a debate – one from Sky in the Kooyong electorate and one from Channel Nine in the studio,” he said on Wednesday.

He added the “challenge” for Dr Ryan was to accept both invitations after the Climate 200-backed independent declined the same proposal from Channel 9 two days earlier.

“When you’re running for public office, it’s only right you put yourself up for that level of scrutiny – particularly when you’re not telling the community how you will vote in the event of a hung parliament,” My Frydenberg said.

“The people of Kooyong need to know that a vote for a fake independent is a vote for Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party.”

Channel Nine Political Editor, Chris Uhlmann, revealed on Monday that Dr Ryan rejected the proposition before he insisted she “should reconsider”.

Mr Frydenberg accused his Kooyong opponent of “running away from interviews” and “hiding” ahead of the Federal Election in interviews this week.

She fired back at the Treasurer on Monday night, saying in a Tweet that Mr Frydenberg was the one who “pulled out of the ACTUAL Kooyong candidates forum”.

“I’d relish the opportunity to debate him on Ch9. If it’s in Kooyong (not Docklands!), in front of people of Kooyong, with Qs asked by the people of #Kooyong,” she said.

Dr Ryan is yet to respond to the proposal from Mr Frydenberg to the televised debate on Channel 9.

Sky News Australia has written to both the Kooyong candidates to confirm a People’s Forum for Thursday, May 5, for an approximate 2pm start.

The debate will be held in front of a market research sourced audience of uncommitted voters in the electorate.