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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has weighed in on a dispute over the massive citizenship ceremonies that are taking place around the country, after the Coalition suggested there should be concerns about the timing of the events in the lead-up to the federal election.

Asked if the independent member for Fowler, Dai Le, had been denied an invitation, Albanese called reports “complete nonsense”.

“This is a complete non-story,” he said.

In a stoush that unfolded over the weekend, Le said she was not invited to the large ceremonies at Sydney Olympic Park, where more than 4500 people became citizens in three ceremonies. While the rules only require elected representatives of the area where the ceremony is being held to be invited, Le said she should have been invited because some of the new citizens live in her electorate.

“This was a big citizenship ceremony in Homebush which is in the electorate of Reid. Nowhere else. The electorate of Reid. Not even next to Fowler,” Albanese said.

“This is a catch-up [ceremony] that’s occurring and what’s incredible, I find, is that there would be some issue with people who have been eligible for citizenship for some time, but hadn’t been able to receive it either because they’re working or delays at councils for whatever reason, wanting to pledge their allegiance to Australia.”

Albanese said mayors in the area were invited to the ceremony.

“Dai Le, for reasons that I find very unusual isn’t just the federal member for Fowler; she ran for council last year and is the deputy mayor of Fairfield as well. The mayor of Fairfield was certainly invited as was – as was appropriate.”