A Coalition candidate in the upcoming federal election has been has been referred to federal police over concerns of possible electoral fraud.
Vivian Lobo is contesting the north Brisbane seat of Lilley, the most narrowly Labor held seat in Queensland with Anika Wells securing a margin of just 0.6 per cent at the last election.
The Australian Electoral Commission reviewed Mr Lobo’s enrolment and candidate nomination forms over concerns he was not living at his specified address.
Mr Lobo had put his address as a home in Everton Park, which is in the electorate of Lilley.
On Friday, the lawn was freshly cut and sheets were hung in the windows of the house but there was no furniture or household items inside.
The AEC confirmed on Sunday it had referred the matter to the AFP.
‘There is concern as to whether the information provided by him regarding his residential address on these forms is false,’ it said.
Mr Lobo said he would co-operate with the investigation.
‘I enrolled in the electorate as I had signed a lease in Everton Park with the intention to move in straight away,’ Mr Lobo said.
‘However due to my campaign commitments and difficulty with getting tradespeople to the home, I was delayed moving in.’
The coalition campaign has not said whether it will continue supporting Mr Lobo in Lilley.
living outside a nominated electorate is not illegal, but proving false information to the AEC could constitute electoral fraud.
He is the second coalition candidate to be referred to the AFP for investigation in recent days.
Isaacs candidate Robbie Beaton was referred on Thursday after he told a newspaper he did not live at the Melbourne property where he was enrolled.
Queensland Labor Senator Murray Watt said Prime Minister Scott Morrison needed to explain whether Mr Lobo would be stood down during the investigation.
‘This is an extremely serious allegation to emerge in relation to a candidate in an election campaign,’ he said.
Not standing Mr Lobo down would be another blow to ‘a government whose integrity is already in tatters’ and that failed to deliver on a federal anti-corruption commission it promised at the last election, he added.
This government has a terrible record when it comes to integrity. They’ve had rort after rort,’ he said
Candidate nominations will remain as formally declared in April.
‘Ballot papers have been printed and distributed across the country for early voting to begin on Monday and many postal voters have already received their postal voting packs,’ the AEC said.
The seat of Lilley was previously held by formerly treasurer Wayne Swan from the 1990s until he retired in 2019.
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