Former East Hills campaign manager Jim Daniel to face court over alleged electoral breaches

SOUTH west Sydney Liberal councillor Jim Daniel will face court over allegations he breached electoral rules during last year’s State Election.

BANKSTOWN councillor Jim Daniel has been suspended from the Liberal Party and East Hills state Liberal MP Glenn Brookes will stand aside from his parliamentary duties over an alleged breach of electoral rules during the NSW election last year.

The Express revealed on Friday that the NSW Electoral Commission had served Mr Daniel with two court attendance notices for allegedly distributing pamphlets that did not declare an author or where they were printed.

It comes less than a year after Mr Daniel, who was Mr Brookes’ campaign manager, was accused of a smear campaign that wrongly portrayed unsuccessful East Hills Labor candidate Cameron Murphy as a “pedophile lover”.

A spokesman for Premier Mike Baird told The Express on Sunday that NSW Liberal Party state director Chris Stone had “immediately suspended” Mr Daniel.

Mr Brookes will serve on the crossbench until the NSWEC court proceedings are determined.

He will step aside from his parliamentary committee roles, including serving on Mr Baird’s parliamentary ethics committee, until the matter is resolved.

On Monday, Mr Daniel declined to comment on the NSWEC allegations, saying he was seeking advice from his lawyer.

During last year’s election hundreds of gloss pamphlets, seen by The Express, wrongly implied Mr Murphy protected the interests of pedophiles, based on fabricated statements the former NSW Council for Civil Liberties president made on child protection laws.

Mr Daniel denied any connection to the leaflets.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Brookes said he was “shocked and horrified” by the allegations made against his ex-staff member.

He said he did not want the case against Mr Daniel to be a distraction from the “great work and achievements of the (Baird) government”.

“This is in the best interest of the government, the parliament and the people of NSW,” Mr Brookes said.

“I will await the outcome of the court case and will make further comments when it is concluded.”

Mr Brookes won East Hills by 372 votes.

The matter is listed for mention at Downing Centre Local Court on May 3.