Glenn Brookes

Glenn Brookes
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for East Hills
In office
26 March 2011 – 23 March 2019
Preceded byAlan Ashton
Succeeded byWendy Lindsay
Majority0.6 points
Personal details
Born (1959-08-13) 13 August 1959 (age 66)
NationalityAustralian
PartyLiberal Party (2011–16, 2017–present)
Independent (2016–17)
ResidenceBankstown, New South Wales
OccupationPolitician

Glenn Edward Brookes (born 13 August 1959) is an Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing East Hills from 2011 to 2019.[1] A member of the Liberal Party, he resigned to become an independent in 2016 after questions were raised about his 2015 campaign, but rejoined the party in 2017.[2]

Early years and background

Brookes was born at Bankstown Hospital and attended East Hills Primary and High Schools. Leaving school at a young age, he built a successful large business, Sydney Signs, in a monopoly market. He now manages several companies.[3]

Political career

In 2004, Brookes was elected to serve as a councillor on Bankstown City Council and continues to hold this position.[4] He first ran for East Hills in the 2003 NSW election, losing to incumbent Labor member Alan Ashton who achieved 68.5 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.[5] He ran again for East Hills at the 2007 NSW election, losing again to Ashton, on a two-party preferred margin of 64.1 per cent for Labor. Brookes was the recipient of a 3.8-point increase in support from the 2003 election.[6]

In 2011, Brookes again contested East Hills; Ashton was again his main competitor. With the election strategies implemented by his Campaign Manager, Geoffrey Grasso, Brookes defeated Ashton, with a swing of 14.3 per cent, winning the seat from Labor for the first time in history, and holding the seat with 50.6 per cent of the two-party vote.[6] Since the seat of East Hills was created in 1953, up until the 2011 NSW election, it had been held continuously by Labor, represented by only three members of parliament.[6] On 21 March 2016, Brookes resigned from the Liberal Party to sit as an independent after his election campaign manager, Jim Daniels, was charged with electoral offences.[7] He later rejoined the party.

References

  1. ^ "Mr Glenn Edward BROOKES (1959 - )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  2. ^ Robertson, James (28 February 2018). "NSW Liberals ordered to repay $250,000 in unlawful election donations". SMH.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Glenn Brookes". Member for East Hills. Liberal Party. Archived from the original on 17 March 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  4. ^ "Councillor Glenn Brookes". Your Councillors. City of Bankstown. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  5. ^ Green, Antony (11 April 2007). "East Hills". NSW Votes 2007. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 21 April 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Green, Antony (4 April 2011). "East Hills". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 1 May 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Liberal MP Glenn Brookes stands down after 'paedophile lover' smear campaign". The Guardian. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.