The Member for Canning, Andrew Hastie, has been asked by the Australian Defence Force (ADF) to stop wearing his uniform in federal election campaign material.

The West Australian Liberal MP won the seat of Canning in a by-election in September. Prior to that, he was a Special Air Service (SAS) officer in the ADF.

Mr Hastie resigned from the ADF before taking office.

He did not seek Defence endorsement for advertising material.

In a statement, Defence said it had contacted Mr Hastie in relation to this matter and requested that any imagery featuring Mr Hastie in Australian Army uniform be removed.

"As a condition of their service, regular and reserve members of the Australian Defence Force are obliged to comply with various Defence instructions and policies," it said.

"Defence policy is designed to ensure that the ADF remains apolitical. ADF members are therefore not permitted to participate in any political activity in uniform, unless they are pre-approved to do so by an appropriate authority."

This is the second incident concerning federal election candidates being asked to stop wearing their Defence uniforms in campaign material.

Brisbane Labor candidate Pat O'Neill, a former army major, was asked to stop wearing his Australian Army uniform in billboards that appeared over the weekend in his electorate.

Labor MP Paul Papalia supports Hastie

Labor MP for Warnbro Paul Papalia has defended Mr Hastie's actions.

Mr Papalia is a former Navy clearance diver who served in Iraq twice and retired from service in 2004.

He said he "totally agrees" with Mr Hastie and the Canning MP's support of Pat O'Neill.

Labor MP Paul Papalia pictured in Iraq in 2003, says candidates should be allowed to use photographs in their uniforms. ( Supplied: Twitter )

"It's just wrong to suggest that in some way the ADF have ownership of private photographs of the time of people in service," Mr Papalia said.

"Both Andrew Hastie and Pat O'Neill are fine Australians, who should rightly be very proud of their service," he said.

"The knowledge of my service and any ex-servicemen or women, any veterans service, is a part of their resume, it indicates to people they have given of themselves in the service of the nation frequently.

"These are people who have left the defence force, they are no longer in service. When you're in service, it is appropriate that you're apolitical that you don't engage in politics, you don't have yourself photographed in uniform engaged in any political activity."

Mr Papalia has recently changed his twitter profile photo to one of him in his uniform while serving in Iraq in 2003.

Mr Hastie has been contacted for comment.