Former Griffith councillor Manjit Singh Lally (left) with new NSW Nationals leader Gurmesh Singh at the Sikh temple in Griffith. Photo: Manjit Singh Lally/Facebook.
Griffith Sikh community leader Manjit Singh has welcomed the announcement of Gurmesh Singh’s appointment as the new leader of the NSW National Party on Tuesday (18 November).
The Coffs Harbour blueberry farmer becomes the first person of Sikh descent to lead a major party in Australia, following the shock resignation of former Nationals leader Dugald Saunders on Monday.
“It’s exciting news for our community,” Manjit said.
“He’s visited Griffith and our temple before; he’s a good guy. Gurmesh is a fourth-generation Punjabi, his great-grandparents moved here. But he still speaks our language well.”
Sikhs are an ethnic group from the Northern Indian state of Punjab and one of the largest minorities in Griffith, where the annual Sikh Games are hosted.
“It is an honour to be elected by my peers to lead the NSW Nationals alongside deputy leader Kevin Anderson,” Gurmesh told the media after he was unanimously elected by his party room.
Gurmesh declined to tell the media which direction the party will take on Net Zero, an issue that has divided both state and federal Coalition parties.
Gurmesh Singh (right) with the Griffith Sikh community during a visit to the city in 2023 to announce funding for the Sikh Games. Photo: Supplied.
Manjit said Gurmesh came from a hardworking farming family and had always stayed connected to his roots.
“With this achievement, another golden page has been added to the history of Punjabis in Australia,” Manjit said.
”His success is an inspiration for our younger generations, showing that with hard work, values and community spirit, anything is possible.”
In 2021, Manjit was the first Sikh elected as a Griffith councillor, a position he held until 2024.
Gurmesh Singh was elected to the NSW Parliament in 2019 and comfortably re-elected in 2023. He had been the NSW Nationals deputy leader for the past 16 months.
Mr Saunders’ sudden resignation came as a surprise to even his own party colleagues.
“For the past two and a half years, I have had the privilege of leading the NSW Nationals – today I am stepping down from that position,” he said.
“It’s a difficult decision, but it is the right time for me to take a step back and focus more on my family and myself.
“It’s also the right time to allow a new leader to take up the fight ahead of the next election.”
