NSW Nationals Leader and Deputy-Primer John Barilaro is reportedly on mental health leave from 18 September 2020 and MLA for Port Macquarie Leslie Williams quit the Nationals on 20 September to join the NSW Liberal Party.
This junior partner in the Coalition is showing the strain of having such a divisive leader. Barilaro has been at the helm for less than four years and in that time the Nationals have lost four seats in the state parliament - Lismore, Murray, Barwon and now Port Macquarie.
The Nationals now hold only 12 seats in the 93 seat NSW Legislative Assembly.
Two
senior NSW Nationals figures have quit the party and Port Macquarie
MP Leslie Williams has had her membership of the Liberals accepted a
day after abandoning the Nationals in disgust.
Former
Nationals leader and deputy premier Troy Grant last week resigned
from the party, while former Water Minister and deputy leader Niall
Blair has not renewed his membership.
Mr
Grant and Mr Blair did not want to comment on their decision to leave
the Nationals, but a source close to Mr Grant said he did not
"support the direction of the party".
Ms
Williams' membership of the Liberals was rubber-stamped on Monday
morning, ensuring she did not have to sit on the crossbench when NSW
Parliament resumes on Tuesday.
Her
shock resignation on Sunday came after John Barilaro, the NSW
Nationals' leader, and his MPs threatened to destroy the Coalition by
moving to the crossbench if they did not get a raft of changes over a
contested koala planning policy.
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