Bathurst MP Paul Toole has confirmed he will contest the leadership of the NSW Nationals and office of deputy premier on Wednesday in a bid to succeed the outgoing John Barilaro.
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The Deputy Leader of the NSW Nationals will be taking on Oxley MP and Minister for Water Melinda Pavey for the role when Mr Barilaro calls for a party room ballot on Wednesday.
Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall is also hotly tipped to contest the leadership.
Mr Toole said he had made his mind up about running soon after Mr Barilaro's resignation, but wanted to allow his outgoing colleague time to navigate the media spotlight.
"Today, I am announcing my intention to run for the leadership of the NSW Nationals, and having been deputy for three years and someone who lives and breathes regional NSW, I want to continue the strong work of John Barilaro to bring vital investment into our regions," Mr Toole said
"This is a time where we need strong, stable leadership. We're coming out of a pandemic, and people in our communities are wanting to see kids getting back to school and their businesses opening their doors again so they can get back to work."
If elected, Mr Toole will be the first ever deputy premier to hail from Bathurst.
The news comes after Dominic Perrottet was officially announced as the new leader of the NSW Liberal Party and incoming Premier on Tuesday morning.
Mr Toole welcomed Mr Perrottet's ascension to the role and said he, if elected, looks forward to working alongside the new Premier on matters of state.
"I've worked closely with Dom both in the crisis cabinet and the cabinet's expenditure review committee [ERC], and I know I'll be able to work alongside him to deliver the best results for NSW, especially people in regional and rural areas," he said.
Mr Toole was first elected to state parliament in 2011 with a record 36.7 per cent swing, after having previously served as mayor of Bathurst Regional Council.
Whether elected or not, Mr Toole insists he will get on with the job of helping guide NSW out of the pandemic.
"It would be nice to be elected leader, but the main priority regardless is getting retail, hospitality and entertainment venues up and running again in accordance with our government's roadmap," he said.
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