Queensland's Olympics minister has been referred to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) over questions surrounding his electoral enrolment, deepening integrity concerns after scrutiny over his relationship with fellow minister Amanda Camm.
Questions over Tim Mander’s enrolment intensified during the Stafford by-election campaign after reports revealed he was registered to vote at an Arana Hills address in Brisbane while living in a Hamilton unit he bought with Camm. Arana Hills sits on the edge of Mander’s Everton electorate in the city’s northwest.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) confirmed on Thursday it had referred the matter involving Queensland Olympics Minister Tim Mander to the AFP after seeking further information about his enrolment status.
“The AEC sought information regarding this matter — this included an opportunity for Mr Mander to provide information to support his enrolment claim,” an AEC spokesperson said. “While a determination has not been made, the AEC does consider that there is currently an absence of compelling evidence to determine Mr Mander resided at the enrolled address. As such, on May 19 the AEC referred this matter to the AFP for their consideration, and any action they consider appropriate.”
The spokesperson said because the issue concerned “a potential criminal offence under the Criminal Code Act 1995”, any further investigation would be a matter for federal police.
Mander has said he updated the Electoral Commission of Queensland “every time” his circumstances changed and insisted he had complied with all electoral requirements.
Federal electoral law requires a person to have lived at an address for at least 30 days before they can legally enrol to vote there.
The AFP referral comes after integrity issues surrounding the Crisafulli Government dominated debate during the Stafford by-election campaign on May 16, with preliminary results showing Labor narrowly ahead after a significant swing to the LNP.
Before the election, the AEC declined to discuss specifics of Mander’s enrolment circumstances for privacy reasons, but pointed to provisions under Queensland law allowing MPs to be enrolled in the electorate they represent rather than where they live.
“We can’t share any enrolment circumstances for individual electors for privacy reasons,” the spokesperson said in April. “However, I draw your attention to section 64(4) of the Queensland Electoral Act 1992 which permits a member of the Legislative Assembly to be enrolled in the electorate that they represent instead of the district they live in.”
The commission also stressed it treated electoral roll integrity as “a matter of the highest importance”.
Separately, Labor referred Mander, Camm and Premier David Crisafulli to the Crime and Corruption Commission over whether conflicts of interest linked to Mander and Camm’s relationship were properly declared and managed. The ministers have denied wrongdoing and said all required disclosures were made.
