The Federal Opposition has slammed comments by former Liberal frontbencher Sophie Mirabella, who says a Victorian hospital missed out on $10 million in federal funding because she was not re-elected to the seat of Indi at the last election.

Key points:

- Sophie Mirabella says Wangaratta missed hospital upgrade because she was no re-elected

- Shorten calls on PM to clarify the accusations to the public

- New MP Cathy McGowan says predecessor's comments "shocking"

- Treasurer Morrison won't comment on funding suggestion

Independent Cathy McGowan won the seat in 2013, ousting Ms Mirabella after more than a decade in the role.

The former MP told a live television audience last night that the voters had cost themselves a multi-million-dollar upgrade to the Wangaratta Hospital.

"I had a commitment for a $10 million allocation to the Wangaratta hospital that if elected I was going to announce a week after the election," she said.

"That is $10 million that Wangaratta hasn't had because Cathy got elected."

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten today said it was a "staggering revelation".

Mr Shorten today called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to clarify Ms Mirabella's comments to the public.

"I do not believe that what Sophie Mirabella and the Liberals have done in the last term is ethical," he said.

"I believe it smacks of almost political corruption ... it is not the Australian way to act like a banana republic, to reward your mates and punish the people who choose to disagree with you."

But Treasurer Scott Morrison said the coverage of the comments had been a "gross mischaracterisation".

Mr Morrison, who spent today with his "very good friend", Ms Mirabella in Indi, would not comment on whether the funding was being considered at the time.

"There was no public commitment to that hospital funding before the last election," he said.

"The Government has followed through on the public commitments that were made."

Health Minister Sussan Ley further stated that "neither I, nor my department, is aware of any public commitment to give Wangaratta Hospital $10 million".

Ms Mirabella said she "left it to the new member" to continue to campaign for hospital funding after she lost her seat.

McGowan wants Mirabella's comments clarified

Ms McGowan told the ABC she found her predecessor's comments shocking.

She said that the need for funding remained in Wangaratta Hospital, which she described as a major employer for the region.

"To think this is the way that politics happens," she said.

"It's not what people want."

Ms McGowan has joined Labor in calling for the Prime Minister to clarify Ms Mirabella's comments.

Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas also asked his department to investigate claims the former Abbott government withdrew $10 million from the hospital.

Mr Pallas said if the claims were true, it was offensive that the Federal Government would withdraw much-needed funding to punish a community for how it voted.

"Any Government that seeks to threaten retribution upon the electorate for exercising their political choice I think generally finds that those threats never work because people have generally tended not to be intimidated," he said.

Increasingly bitter campaign in Indi

The development comes after allegations of pushing were made against Ms Mirabella.

The Liberal candidate was accused of shoving Ms McGowan at a recent event opening — a claim Ms Mirabella strenuously denies.

"I think people deserve to know what happened, let's bring it out into the open because my integrity has been abused," Ms Mirabella said at a televised debate on Thursday.

Ms McGowan refused to deny the allegations, which appeared in a local newspaper.

"I think I'd actually rather leave it, Sophie; I think it's a time for another place," she said.

Sophie Mirabella's Wangaratta hospital claim a 'staggering revelation', Bill Shorten says