The Australian Electoral Commission has referred LNP candidate Vivian Lobo to the federal police over allegations he provided false information to the AEC about his residential address.
The AEC was investigating allegations against Mr Lobo, who is running for the key seat of Lilley in Brisbane, which is held by Labor by a tiny margin.
The controversy around Mr Lobo's candidacy erupted last week, when Labor complained to the AEC that Mr Lobo "may have committed enrolment fraud", and alleged he did not live at his registered address in Everton Park in Brisbane's north.
While the house is located within the electorate of Lilley, when the ABC visited the address it appeared vacant and neighbours said no-one had lived at the address in months.
In a statement, the AEC said it had reviewed the declarations made on Mr Lobo's enrolment and nomination forms.
"There is concern as to whether the information provided by him regarding his residential address on these forms is false," the AEC statement said.
"The AEC has referred this matter to the AFP [Australian Federal Police] for investigation."
The AEC also noted that ballot papers have been printed and distributed across the country for early voting to begin on Monday, with many postal voters having already received their postal voting packs.
Move in delayed due to campaign commitments
On Friday Mr Lobo said in a statement he had "enrolled in the electorate as I had signed a lease in Everton Park with the intention to move in straight away".
"However due to my campaign commitments and difficulty with getting tradespeople to the home, I was delayed moving in," he said.
In March, Mr Lobo was picked as the LNP's candidate for the seat, which is currently held by Labor's Anika Wells.
Ms Wells won the seat in 2019 with just 0.6 per cent – a departure from its former relative safety under Labor's Wayne Swan, who held the seat from 1998 until he retired in 2019.
Mr Swan had first won the seat in 1993, but lost it for one term of parliament in 1996.
