A former private schoolboy who appeared alongside Josh Frydenberg in a promotional photo has revealed the brutal truth behind their seemingly innocent encounter.

Dom Weber was on his way to school in June 2016 when he met Mr Frydenberg, then Minister for Resources, Energy and North Australia, at Camberwell station in Melbourne’s east-central .

Hours later, the now-treasurer shared a picture of himself talking to young people on Twitter, writing: ‘He may be too young to vote but good to get some good feedback’.

But despite the message insinuating that the couple had a positive conversation, Mr Weber revealed that was far from the truth.

Resharing the historic tweet on Thursday, Mr. Weber said the image actually captured him telling Mr. Frydenberg that he was the “last” person he would put on a ballot.

“Throwback to that classic moment when I told @JoshFrydenberg if I could vote I’d put him last,” Weber wrote.

‘Six years later and I’m still putting the last Joshy boy on you!’

The post went viral as dozens of Australians praised Mr Weber for sharing his side of the story – just weeks before the May 21 federal election.

Some have suggested the timing was a strategic move on Mr. Weber’s part, with many puzzled by the starkly different portrayals of the unique event.

“Best tweet of this election,” one person said.

“Josh has an interesting take on good comments,” one woman wrote alongside a smiling emoji.

‘Wait, so he used your photo to publicize himself even though you said that?’ someone else said.

”Welcome back’…So he agreed ppl should put it last then,” read a fourth comment.

Another person replied, “Well, he didn’t say what the comments were, did he?” He just had his picture taken with a young child in a private school blazer and left the rest up to interpretation.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Frydenberg’s office for comment.

The revelation comes as Mr Frydenberg fights to retain his post as MP for the Victorian seat of Kooyong, following a public exchange with independent candidate Monique Ryan.

After stoking a social media frenzy, Mr Weber revealed 24 hours later that he planned to vote for Mr Frydenberg’s bitter rival next month.

“Well this has gone further than I thought. Thanks for the kind words and for those who told me to get a job,” he commented in his post on Thursday.

‘Oh and who am I voting for number one? this one is for you @My4Kooyong.’

The Treasurer rejected an invitation from climate advocacy group Lighter Footprints to debate Dr Ryan and other candidates on Wednesday evening.

He claimed the event was essentially a ‘campaign rally’ for Dr Ryan, who is running on policies proposing action on climate change.

“It would be up to me to go and debate them in front of their own campaign rally, which I’m not about to give them that blunt kick to do,” Mr Frydenberg told SEN radio station this week.

On Thursday, Dr Ryan hit back at Mr Frydenberg who repeatedly accused her of being a ‘fake independent’.

“He can say what he likes about me…but I can no longer be complicit in the government’s inaction on climate change,” she told ABC National Radio.

“Mr. Frydenberg does not understand the power of the grassroots movement I represent.”

Dr Ryan had previously refused to take part in a televised debate with Mr Frydenberg on Channel 9, prompting the Treasurer to demand that she ‘speak up’.

“I’m the treasurer, I’m interviewed every day, they (Dr Ryan) aren’t and they’re in hiding,” Mr Frydenberg said on Tuesday.

“The bogus independents don’t have detailed policies, they don’t have costs, they don’t tell the local Kooyong community how they will vote in the event of a suspended parliament.”

Dr Ryan said she turned down the offer because she was in Docklands, not Kooyong, but agreed to a similar debate via Sky to be held among their electorate next week .