Two major unions in Victoria have turned their backs on the Labor government a month out from the state election, with one launching attack ads calling Ben Carroll a liar and the other pulling campaign funding.

The Labor-aligned Australian Services Union (ASU), which launched the ads, has also confirmed it won’t doorknock for Labor in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) state council resolved on Wednesday not to run a statewide campaign for Labor, despite spending more than $1.6m supporting the party at the last election, with funds to be diverted to support members who could be called before the construction royal commission.

The ASU ads splash the words “Ben lied. Labor lies” over a large image of the premier.

The union has paid for these ads to run across news sites and on Google in Carroll’s own seat of Niddrie, the seat of Pascoe Vale, held by Labor on a 2% margin against the Greens and the seat of Bentleigh, a target seat for the Liberals. The ads will also feature in seats held by the deputy premier, the treasurer and the local government minister.

“Nobody at the ASU wanted to be running ads against Labor MPs, and we don’t have to if the government does the right thing,” she said.

“The world is in a different place than it was six months ago, let alone four years ago,” said one ETU source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

“We aren’t alone. A lot of the union movement have been pretty muted towards Labor in the lead up to this election.”