Liverpool Council election results: Ned Mannoun rival Peter Ristevski elected

A controversial former councillor who distributed a fake Islamophobic flyer about his rival’s wife and MP will return to a southwest Sydney council after scoring a win at the ballot box.

Ned Mannoun will return as Liverpool Council Mayor while former Liverpool councillor Peter Ristevski has been elected as a south ward councillor.

A controversial former deputy mayor who distributed a fake Islamophobic flyer about his main political rival’s wife will return to Liverpool Council with a goal to “rebuild this city” after scoring a win at the ballot box.

Our Local Community candidate Peter Ristevski received 8797 votes to become a south ward councillor in the now Labor-controlled council after running unsuccessfully for mayor to his political rival, Ned Mannoun.

The self-described “straight shooter” received the lowest tally for mayor with 13,469 votes while Labor candidate Betty Green secured 32,235 votes and incumbent mayor Ned Mannoun retained the top job with 52,369 votes.

Mr Ristevski, who served on the council from 2012 to 2016, said he was “appalled that Liverpool is being treated as a dumping ground” for overdevelopment.

Former councillor Peter Ristevski will return to the chamber. Picture: Tim Hunter

“There’s no overdevelopment in the Northern Beaches, so I’m going to be pushing hard,” he said.

“We will speak with the relevant minister and have a look at the quota they’re placing on Liverpool in comparison to other areas … we’ve done the heavy lifting, we want answers.”

Mr Ristevski and Mr Mannoun have a history, with Mr Mannoun recently suing Mr Ristevski for defamation over a Facebook comment that alleged he was a “crim”.

Ned Mannoun has returned as Liverpool Council Mayor. Picture: Facebook

The pair was also involved in a verbal altercation days at a pre-polling booth before the council elections where Mr Ristevski told Mr Mannoun: “You are a slimeball, I swear to god you are … a piece of s--t … you stink.’’

He proceeded to call the mayor a “slippery slimeball” and asked whether he was wearing deodorant.

A NSW Police spokesman said no police reports were filed after officers were called following a report of disorderly behaviour.

Mr Mannoun left the area after the pair was given directions to desist from behaving in a disorderly manner.

Mr Ristevski stood by his comments and said Mr Mannoun was “definitely a slimeball” and he “did stink because I said (for him) to move away from me.”

When asked on how the pair would work together on the council, Mr Ristevski said “it’s not going to work”.

“Mannoun works for himself, I’m about the ratepayers,” he said.

Mr Ristevski was previously convicted of distributing a fake racist flyer of Holsworthy MP Tina Ayyad which labelled Mr Mannoun’s wife as a vote for “Islamisation”.

The fake flyer distributed in Barden Ridge in March last year. Picture: Facebook

The fake flyer distributed in Barden Ridge in March last year. Picture: Facebook

The former Liverpool councillor delivered the fake pamphlets to letterboxes in March last year with the face of Ms Ayyad on the front and the slogan “let’s promote Islamisation vote for me”.

He was fined $1500 for the charges of printing electoral material that did not show the name of an instructee and printing electoral material not showing the name of the printer.

The new faces of Liverpool Council also include Labor north ward councillors Sam Karnib and Mira Ibrahim alongside Liberal Matthew Harte.

The south ward will have two new councillors join the ranks including Liberal Emmanuel Adjei and Labor Ethan Monahan.

Deputy Mayor Fiona McNaught, Dr Betty Green, Peter Harle and Richard Ammoun will return to the council.

Originally published as Liverpool Council election results: Ned Mannoun rival Peter Ristevski elected