A Labor MP who holds Queensland’s most marginal seat is calling for the prime minister to “disavow” her Liberal National party opponent, amid allegations that by not living at the address provided to the AEC he may have committed enrolment fraud.
The call, from Anika Wells, came after the Australian reported that LNP candidate Vivian Lobo provided “false evidence” to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) when he claimed to live in the electorate of Lilley.
The article alleged that Lobo told the AEC he lived within Lilley, in an Everton Park home, but that the property was, in fact, uninhabited, unfurnished and in a state of disrepair. It reported that Lobo lived in the neighbouring electorate of Brisbane.
On Friday morning, a spokesperson said the AEC was “reviewing the circumstances” around Lobo and “may have more to say soon”.
In a statement, Lobo said he had intended to live at the address but was delayed in moving.
“I enrolled in the electorate as I had signed a lease in Everton Park with the intention to move in straight away,” Lobo said. “However due to my campaign commitments and difficulty with getting tradespeople to the home, I was delayed moving in.”
The LNP’s state director was contacted for comment.
According to the AEC website, “enrolment fraud occurs if an elector makes a false claim for enrolment, for example using a false name or address. If proven, enrolment fraud can carry a penalty of 12 months’ imprisonment.
The AEC announced separately on Friday morning that it had referred another Liberal candidate to the AFP for investigation – a week after the candidate for the Victorian seat of Isaacs, Robbie Beaton, admitted to listing a false address on his nomination form. Beaton said he had worked at the hotel at the address, that his family previously owned, for 20 years and his use of the address was an “honest mistake”.
The AEC said it had reviewed Beaton’s candidate nomination and the declarations that had been made in order to run in Isaacs.
“There is concern as to whether the information provided by him regarding his residential address on these forms is false,” the AEC said. “The AEC has referred this matter to the AFP for investigation.”
Labor has held Lilley since Wayne Swan won it back from the Liberals in 1998, with Wells taking over from the former treasurer at the last election.
Wells narrowly survived an 8.12% swing against Labor’s primary vote to hold the seat in Brisbane’s northern suburbs with a 0.6% margin, the fourth-slimmest in the country.
Wells told the Guardian his handling of Lobo would be “a test” for Scott Morrison.
“This is a question of the PM’s integrity,” she said. “He’s intervened in plenty of other preselections. He needs to intervene here and disavow his candidate, or his own integrity is under serious question.”
Asked if Lobo should stand down, Wells said: “The people of Lilley deserve an explanation. I look forward to hearing it.”
The pressure on Lobo comes just weeks after he was named candidate, after his predecessor’s decision to pull out of the race in late February, citing mental health.
The LNP also lost its preselected candidate for Lilley just months prior to the 2019 election.
Jim Liu had stood down and was replaced by a tree lopper, Brad Carswell, who ended up with just 1,229 votes fewer than Wells after preferences.
According to the Guardian’s pork-o-meter, which tracks election promises, Lilley has received no funding promises from the Coalition. There were two pledges from Labor, totalling $5.5m.
Lobo is an active member of a Catholic church in Lutwyche, in the seat of Brisbane, and is listed on the governing board of The Leaders Institute, a Woolloongabba-based accounting and agribusiness education institute.
He appears to have been vigorously campaigning in Lilley and is described as upbeat and outgoing.
Outside social media, however, his official campaign presence remain largely devoid of details. As of Friday morning, his biography on the LNP website simply reads: “Vivian Lobo is the Liberal candidate for Lilley. Only a Liberal Government can provide a strong economy and a stronger future.”
Meanwhile, the AEC said it had reviewed Beaton’s candidate nomination and the declarations that had been made in order to run in Isaacs.
“There is concern as to whether the information provided by him regarding his residential address on these forms is false,” the AEC said. “The AEC has referred this matter to the AFP for investigation.”
