Gurmesh Singh, the Member for Coffs Harbour, has been elected unopposed as the leader of the New South Wales National Party, becoming the first Australian of Indian heritage and the first Sikh to lead a major political party at the state level in Australia.
His historic election follows the sudden resignation of former leader Dugald Saunders, who stepped down on Monday citing family reasons. Mr Singh, who had served as Deputy Leader since June 2024, was the sole nominee in a party room ballot held on Tuesday morning.
“It is an honour to be elected by my peers to lead the NSW Nationals,” Mr Singh said in a statement. “The wellbeing of regional communities is at the heart of everything we do, and I thank my party room colleagues for affording me the opportunity to continue the great work of the Nationals across NSW.”
The 45-year-old’s ascent is a landmark moment for multicultural representation in Australian politics. A fourth-generation Australian of Sikh Punjabi descent, his great-grandfather, Bella Singh, first arrived in the country in the 1890s. His family settled permanently in the northern New South Wales town of Woolgooiga in the late 1940s.
Mr Singh grew up in Woolgooiga, attended local schools, and later graduated from the University of New South Wales. Before entering parliament in 2019, he worked as a blueberry and macadamia farmer, a background that has deeply influenced his political perspective.
Federal National Party leader David Littleproud was quick to offer his congratulations, praising Mr Singh’s “wealth of experience” and his understanding of the challenges facing regional Australians and farmers.
Community leaders have also celebrated the appointment. Griffith Sikh community leader Manjit Singh Lally described it as “exciting news for our community” and said Mr Singh’s success “is an inspiration for our younger generations, showing that with hard work, values and community spirit, anything is possible.”
In a 2025 interview, Mr Singh expressed a desire to be seen simply as an Australian, questioning, “How many more generations does it have to be before I stop being an Indian-Australian and just an Australian?”
His promotion comes at a critical time for the NSW Coalition, which is also finalising its position on a net zero by 2050 emissions target.
Kevin Anderson, the member for Tamworth, was elected unopposed as the party’s new deputy leader.
