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AAP
AAP
Politics
Luke Costin

Toole survives NSW Nationals leadership challenge

Paul Toole has survived a leadership challenge and will remain as NSW Nationals leader. (Jason O'BRIEN/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

The NSW Nationals have stuck with leader Paul Toole despite a challenge from a former agriculture minister and ABC broadcaster.

The Bathurst MP held off a challenge from Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders after the party's 16 MPs met in NSW parliament on Wednesday.

Upper house MP Bronnie Taylor retained the deputy leadership, elected unopposed, while Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh was re-elected as whip.

Mr Toole, a former teacher, has led the NSW Nationals since his controversial predecessor John Barilaro quit parliament in October 2021 and served as police minister and deputy premier under Dominic Perrottet.

Mr Saunders is a former radio presenter and sports broadcaster who called the Sydney Olympics before switching into politics in 2019, succeeding former police minister Troy Grant in the seat of Dubbo.

Former NSW agriculture minister Dugald Saunders is expected to contest the Nationals' leadership. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP PHOTOS) (AAP)

He slightly grew his margin to 19.4 per cent at the March 25 election.

While the Nationals' overall primary vote slipped from 9.6 per cent to 8.7 per cent, the party retained all but one of its 12 lower house seats in the March poll.

The loss of Monaro MP Nichole Overall has reduced the proportion of women in the party room to 25 per cent.

Meanwhile, the Liberals remain leaderless after Mr Perrottet resigned on the night of the election.

The Liberal Party is still waiting on the results of the seat of Ryde, where Jordan Lane is 135 votes ahead of Labor's Lyndal Howison, with 87 per cent of the counted.

The final upper house seat could also fall the way of Liberal Rachel Merton, with the former Howard government adviser well placed to hold off the Animal Justice party candidate.

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