ABC distances itself from former star reporter and independent candidate Zoe Daniel

The ABC is trying to distance itself from its former star reporter Zoe Daniel whose political campaign site is populated with images from her career at the public broadcaster.

Former ABC News US Bureau Chief and now-independent candidate for Goldstein Zoe Daniel. Picture: Supplied

The ABC is trying to distance itself from its former star reporter Zoe Daniel whose political campaign site is populated with images from her career at the public broadcaster.

The long-time ABC journalist is now running as a climate-change campaigning independent candidate in the federal election for the Victorian seat of Goldstein.

The ABC released a statement distancing itself from Daniel after The Australian reported on Wednesday that she had signed an open letter in 2021 accusing Israel of unleashing a “brutal war against the besieged population of Gaza”.

“Zoe Daniel left the ABC in July 2020,” the ABC statement said, asking for a correction to the article’s headline to make it clear the reporter was no longer associated with the public broadcaster.

The homepage of Daniel’s campaign site prominently features images of her working at the ABC.

Kerry O'Brien and Allegra Spender pictured at North Bondi SLSC

A photograph of Daniel wearing a protective fire jacket labelled “media” accompanies her policy position on finding a “clear path to net zero that conforms to the latest science, protects our natural environment and embraces the immune business and job opportunities that a renewable climate economy presents”.

An image of Daniel in front of a television camera in Washington sits alongside her integrity policy where she calls for accountability in parliament and donation transparency.

This week, two other high-profile ABC figures have promoted another independent candidate, Allegra Spender, who is challenging Liberal MP Dave Sharma in the Sydney seat of Wentworth.

Former 7.30 host Kerry O’Brien, who still works for the ABC from time to time, appeared at a campaign event with Spender.

Another former ABC journalist, Quentin Dempster, took part in the same event, a Q&A session on “Truth and Trust”.

On her website, Daniel describes herself as a “mum, wife, journalist and foreign correspondent” and talks at length about her time reporting at the ABC.

“In nearly 30 years of reporting, I’ve covered natural disasters, conflict, economics and politics, and all manner of news around the world. I’ve seen first-hand the impact of climate change in the Arctic, and I’ve covered floods, typhoons, and bushfires across four continents, including Australia,” she said.

“I’ve been a rural and regional journalist, a business and finance reporter, and a foreign affairs specialist, interviewing and interacting with prime ministers, treasurers and some of Australia’s top CEOs and small businesspeople.”