Elsie Lange
Liberal McEwen candidate Richard Welch has rejected allegations he gave false information to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) when nominating his residential address.
In a letter seen by Star Weekly, the Labor Party has requested the AEC investigate “possible electoral fraud” by Mr Welch, in which he put forward a leased property in Wallan as his address, despite buying a $4.4 million home in Viewbank in the electorate of Jagajaga in August 2021.
In the correspondence, Victorian Labor state secretary Chris Ford said he understood Mr Welch updated his enrolment to an address in Wallan “some time before he nominated as the Liberal candidate on 16 April”.
Mr Ford said he found it “difficult – if not impossible – to believe that Mr Welch’s rental property in the electorate of McEwen was ever his permanent place of residence”.
However, Mr Welch rebutted these claims, saying he “firmly complied with AEC electoral laws and strongly reject[ed] any suggestion otherwise”.
“At the time of signing and lodging my nomination form I was living in Wallan,” Mr Welch said.
“Subsequently, I moved after my lease was terminated early when the house I was residing in was sold.
“It is not possible to update your electoral enrolment details until you have lived at an address for at least one month,” he said.
Electoral fraud is a breach of Commonwealth law encompassing the provision of false or misleading information in enrolment, including using a false name or address.
Mr Ford’s letter noted that under the Residential Tenancies Act in Victoria, “putting a property up for sale or selling a property are not valid reasons for terminating a fixed-term lease agreement early”.
The allegations follow two other accusations of electoral fraud by Liberal candidates, including Vivian Lobo in the Queensland seat of Lilley and Robbie Beaton in the Victorian seat of Isaacs.
McEwen’s sitting Labor MP Rob Mitchell said it was “concerning” that “yet another Liberal candidate has questions to answer about their address”.
In a statement, the AEC said it was “of course aware” of the reports.
“As with any matter brought to our attention that may relate to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, we will review the circumstances,” the AEC said.
“As with other similar matters, if the circumstances dictate that this matter be referred to the AFP for investigation then that is what we’ll do.”
