Troy Grant: ‘I’m the issue, I had to go’ says Deputy Premier after Orange by-election shock

EXCLUSIVE: Troy Grant says the government needed to move on in the wake of the disastrous Orange by-election which he says was affected by the US presidential election result.

• Orange by-election: The day that triggered the siege of Troy
• High noon for Nationals leader Troy Grant after Orange disaster

TROY Grant says he resigned as Deputy Premier and Nationals leader because he had become “the issue” — and the government needed him to go so it could move on in the wake of the disastrous Orange by-election.

“I believe I had become part of the issue, I was the face of the National Party ... me going down gives the party the opportunity to have the clear air to rebuild the trust of the community,” Mr Grant yesterday told The Daily Telegraph.

Deputy Premier Troy Grant arriving at Sydney Airport yesterday. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“Have you ever seen a state more prosperous, the regions have never been more prosperous, yet we’ve failed ourselves in not taking the community with us on that journey. That’s why I’ve resigned.

“We need a fresh start to not let the mistakes we’ve made recently punish us for a job well done on so many other areas.

“We can’t let that be clouded. Those who have lost faith in us equated that loss of faith with me.”

Troy Grant arrives at Sydney Airport to be greeted by the media. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Mr Grant announced his resignation after close friend and Skills Minister John Barilaro had done the numbers ahead of a leadership challenge today. Some party sources said Mr Barilaro was ahead 12 votes to 10.

RELATED: Talkback hosts Alan Jones and Ray Hadley credited for calamity in Orange by-election

The Shooters were last night ahead by 103 votes in Orange with 88 per cent of the vote counted — a 21 per cent swing against the ­Nationals on two-party preferred.

Mr Barilaro did a deal yesterday morning with Primary Industries Minister Niall Blair that the latter would run for deputy leader on his ticket. Yesterday, another potential contender, Local Government Minister Paul Toole, ruled out running.

Troy Grant in his office after announcing he had resigned as leader of the Nationals. Picture Richard Dobson

Nationals heavyweight John Barilaro did the numbers on the party leadership, triggering Mr Grant’s decision.

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli resigned as deputy leader as soon as Mr Grant stood down, paving the way for Mr Blair to take that job from the upper house.

Despite the leadership changes; for at least a week, and possibly until Christmas, the frontbench is ­expected to remain, with Mr Grant retaining Justice, Police and Gaming and Racing, until such time as Mr Baird and Mr Barilaro can negotiate a new frontbench, sources said.

Mr Baird and Mr Barilaro will work on a comprehensive reshuffle, which could occur in the new year and see Health Minister Jillian Skinner and other veteran ministers move on and the education portfolio go to the Libs.

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli also resigned as deputy leader.

Mr Grant conceded yesterday that he got it wrong on the greyhound ban and generally by “not bringing the community along with us in the decisions we’ve made”.

He said that on reflection he should have pushed Premier Mike Baird to release the Special Commission of Inquiry report on the greyhound industry prior to announcing a decision to ban racing.

“Absolutely, this was a seismic ­decision that had to be done a different way,” Mr Grant said. On whether Mr Baird had escaped unscathed, he said he had “no view on that”. He said he had been an “outstanding premier”.

A glum looking Troy Grant during the Orange by-election. Picture: Jonathan Ng

He claimed the “Trump effect” had some sway in Orange.

“It’s the anti-establishment protest vote, I definitely saw it Saturday. It wasn’t the only reason. There was the cumulative decision-making government had made that people had the shits with.”

He had no bad words for Mr Barilaro saying, “There’s no secret Barra and I are mates, I’m godfather to his daughter Sophia Grace, nothing’s changed.”

On broadcasters Alan Jones and Ray Hadley, who travelled to Orange to encourage a vote for the Shooters, Mr Grant said: “They’ve had a right to do exactly what they do, they’re both very decent men who have their job to do and voice the concerns of the community and I respect that. I only blame one person, that’s me.”

Alan Jones and Ray Hadley are widely believed to have triggered the spill. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Grant said he texted Mike Baird the news rather than ring him “because he would have tried to talk me out of it”.

He said his advice for his successor was: “Listen better, even though you’re confident you’re doing the right thing for the community, bring the community with you at all times.”

The fair price for a huge mistake

THE government needs a new broom. And Troy Grant’s ­departure is not enough to ­ensure that.

The talk yesterday was that having gone for the great putsch, John Barilaro and Niall Blair were going to agree with Mike Baird to hold off on a reshuffle, perhaps until early in the new year.

This is patently ridiculous.

The change in ministerial ranks being spoken about for months needs to happen now. Certainly by the time Parliament rises this week.

In his two years and one month as Nationals leader Troy Grant made some silly calls but did some good things, too — particularly in the police space and on racing tax. But there is no doubt the fateful and critical call which killed him off politically was the greyhound racing ban.

Grant knew he was the problem and he had to go, an insider said. Colleagues had another view yesterday — that the numbers were slipping away and he had no choice.

John Barilaro celebrated his 45th birthday yesterday and is set to be anointed leader today.

Like Grant, he is inexperienced. Like Grant, he is known as someone who can get shirty. Like Grant, he will need to avoid stupid, rash decisions and will have to find a way not to become too aligned to the city-centric Liberals to succeed. At the same time he must not slow the reform of the ­government.

Grant promised Barilaro and Blair last month he would resign should he lose the ­Orange by-election — he has lived true to his word.

Even if Grant won today’s ballot against Barilaro, it would have been by one or two votes and this would have been a shemozzle. Grant has paid a fair price for a colossal ­mistake.

On Saturday night, as Troy Grant effectively perished out in Orange, it did not go unnoticed that Mike Baird was at the theatre in Sydney with other ministers, including Brad Hazzard.

They were watching the premiere of Speed The Plow.

— Andrew Clennell