LNP Lilley candidate Vivian Lobo faces police inquiry over AEC address claims

LNP candidate for the Queensland seat of Lilley, Vivian Lobo, is facing an Federal Police investigation for providing a false address to the nation’s electoral commission, after it was revealed the house he claimed he lived in was abandoned and dilapidated.

LNP candidate for the seat of Lilley, Vivian Lobo, leaves his home in Wilston, Brisbane. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

LNP candidate for the Queensland seat of Lilley, Vivian Lobo, is facing an Australian Federal Police investigation for allegedly providing a false address to the nation’s electoral commission.

After The Australian revealed last week that his claimed address in Everton Park was abandoned and dilapidated, Mr Lobo has since been seen moving into the property over the ­weekend and said on Sunday that he would co-operate with police inquiries.

The Australian Electoral Commission on Sunday confirmed a review of Mr Lobo’s claims that he already lived in the ultra-marginal Brisbane electorate of Lilley had raised concerns and was now with the Australian Federal Police.

“There is concern as to whether the information provided by him regarding his residential address on these forms is false,” the AEC spokesman said. “The AEC has referred this matter to the AFP for investigation.’’

An AFP spokesman said it “does not comment on matters that may be the subject of ­investigation”.

The AEC classifies registering a false address with them as being “enrolment fraud”, which can carry a penalty of 12 months’ ­imprisonment.

Under AEC rules, a person must have lived at an address for at least a month before registering it with the commission.

Mr Lobo was until recently ­living in a stylish Queenslander with city views a 23-minute drive away from Everton Park in the up-market suburb of Windsor.

But the LNP candidate – who was spotted carrying furniture into the abandoned house on Sunday – said he had merely been delayed moving into the Everton Park property.

The property in Everton Park.

Mr Lobo also held a campaign event at the property for his volunteers over the weekend, which he publicised on social media.

“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 in a statement.

“However due to my campaign commitments and difficulty with getting tradespeople to the home, I was delayed moving in.”

Opposition emergency management spokesman Murray Watt has called on Scott Morrison to disendorse and suspend campaigning for Mr Lobo.

Senator Watt called on the Prime Minister “to explain whether he is going to stand his candidate down and suspend his campaign in the electorate of ­Lilley while this matter is investigated by the AFP.”

He said merely ­disendorsing Mr Lobo would not be enough since postal voting had already started and ballots were already printed.

“He can’t do some sneaky deal where he can continue to leave a candidate out there running as an LNP candidate when that ­candidate is now under police ­investigation about matters in this election campaign,” Senator Watt said.

Mr Lobo was named as the candidate for Lilley in February 2022, replacing army veteran Ryan Shaw who withdrew for personal and health reasons.

Despite Labor only holding the seat by a margin of 0.6 per cent – the second thinnest margin of any ALP-held seat in the country – both parties expect incumbent MP Anika Wells to win.

The property in Everton Park.