Gurmesh Singh becomes first Sikh to lead major party, chosen as NSW Nationals leader, Dugald Saunders resigns
The Nationals, often stereotyped as a party of old white men, has become the first major Australian political party to have a Sikh leader.
Gurmesh Singh was elected unopposed as NSW Nationals leader on Tuesday morning, a day after Dugald Saunders resigned citing family reasons.
The fourth-generation Australian farmer, whose great-grandfather moved from India 130 years ago, in September told Parliament the main racism he experienced was from his left-wing political opponents who had called him the party’s “useful idiot of colour”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.He told The Nightly he was sick of his ethnicity being unduly emphasised.
“How many more generations does it have to be before I stop being an Indian-Australian and just an Australian? I think that’s the question we all have to answer,” he said.
Nationals MPs chose him as leader after former State leader and police minister Paul Toole declined to contest the ballot. Kevin Anderson, the member for Tamworth, was elected as deputy leader, also unopposed.
Mr Singh, of Sikh Punjabi heritage, joined the Nationals shortly before being elected to Parliament in 2019 as the member for Coffs Harbour.
His elevation as Nationals leader, less than 18 months after becoming deputy, means the Coalition’s alternative deputy premier and Labor Deputy Premier Pru Car both have Indian ethnicity.
Mr Singh’s great-grandfather Bella Singh came to Australia in 1895, and Gurmesh Singh’s ancestors settled in the Coffs Coast area growing bananas and later blueberries.
His predecessor, Mr Saunders, is one-sixteenth Indian.
Few Australians of Asian ethnicity have led a major political party with Korean-born Elizabeth Lee leading the ACT Liberals from 2020 until losing last year’s elections.
Samantha Ratnam, who was born in the UK and raised in Sri Lanka, led the Victorian Greens from 2017 to 2024.
Aboriginal Australians have led political parties in the Northern Territory with Adam Giles serving as Country Liberals chief minister from 2013 to 2016, and Selena Uibo leading the Labor opposition since the party’s heavy electoral defeat last year.
While Australian politics has long been dominated by Anglo surnames, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro have Italian ethnicity.
