Gundagai protesters have staked a claim in the downfall of Nationals leader Troy Grant, after they demonstrated against forced council mergers at the weekend’s Orange by-election.
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Deputy Premier Troy Grant has announced he will quit as leader of the NSW Nationals and deputy Nationals leader Adrian Piccoli has fallen on his sword.
Member for Murray Adrian Piccoli – whose electorate takes in Deniliquin, Griffith, Hay and Leeton – will not re-nominate for the position.
The resignations follow a horror showing at Saturday’s poll that saw the Nationals suffer a 35 per cent swing against them on the primary vote, which analysts have declared the biggest first preference change in NSW by-election history.
“I won't be standing as deputy,” Mr Piccoli said.
“I hope to remain as the Minister for Education, but that's a question for the new leader, whoever that might be.”
Mr Piccoli said Mr Grant "has done a fantastic job in sometimes difficult circumstances".
“He's an incredibly loyal and ethical operator, that's why I've always backed him," he said.
Mr Grant said he was standing down on account of the “Nationals candidate for Orange, Scott Barrett, facing an uphill battle to hold the seat”.
Gundagai businessman and former member of the Nationals’ state executive John Knight led three carloads of “ex-National party voters and supporters” to Forbes on Saturday “to wrest back control”.
“This National Party, led by Troy Grant, has gone against all principles of country people for the last 100 years,” Mr Knight said.
“They’ve kowtowed to Liberals and they sold out core constituency, which is unforgivable.”
Mr Knight spearheaded a 90-strong protest at the federal election with placards that read “Stop council mergers – put Nationals last” and “RIP to democracy”, which contributed to a 23 per cent two party preferred swing to Labor at Gundagai polling booths.
The protesters “sharpened” their campaign at the weekend by endorsing Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party candidate Philip Donato, who is within range of winning.
The anti-merger group said the by-election result strengthened their resolve to unseat Cootamundra MP Katrina Hodgkinson in two years.