(Photo: ABC)

Zoe Daniel, a former journalist with Australia’s national broadcaster, the ABC, has been elected to federal parliament as an independent candidate.

She defeated the sitting Liberal Party member Tim Wilson in the seat of Goldstein in Victoria. The Liberal-led coalition was ousted from power in the election on 21 May.

Ms Daniel worked at the ABC as a radio and TV journalist for 27 years from 1993 to 2020.

She was posted to Africa from 2005 to 2007. From 2010 to 2013, she was Southeast Asian correspondent based in Bangkok. In 2015, she became chief of the ABC’s Washington bureau, a post she held for four years.

Ms Daniel is among several women elected as independents in the election who share concerns about climate change, integrity in government and equality and safety for women.

“In nearly 30 years of reporting, I’ve covered natural disasters, conflict, economics and politics, and all manner of news around the world,” she told voters.

“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.”