NSW Nationals MP Dugald Saunders resigns as leader of party
The leader of a major party has quit just a day after his adult daughter was featured in a provocative doco. He says it’s just a coincidence.
NSW Nationals leader Dugald Saunders has called it quits less than three years into the job and a day after his 19-year-old daughter featured in a documentary on the adult industry.
Saunders shocked colleagues by resigning suddenly as leader on Monday, saying he wanted to focus on family.
A spokesperson for the member for Dubbo said it was simply a coincidence that the resignation followed his daughter’s appearance in the online pornography documentary, The Australian reports.
The publication said multiple family members are battling serious illness.
In a statement on Monday, Mr Saunders said he was stepping down from the role to “take a step back” and focus on his family.
“For the past 2½ years I have had the privilege of leading the NSW Nationals,” the Dubbo MP said.
“It’s been an honour to lead the parliamentary team during a challenging time in opposition and I’ve always done my best to represent regional NSW.
“It’s also the right time to allow a new leader to take up the fight ahead of the next election.”
NSW will return to the polls in March 2027.
“I thank my family, my staff, my team and the party, for all of their support,” Mr Saunders continued.
“I will continue to serve the people of the Dubbo electorate as their local member.”
Just 24 hours ago, his daughter Charlie - who also goes by Willow - was revealed to be the star of a reality show about OnlyFans creators.
The barely-legal teen appeared in the first episode of ‘Spicy Summer’, telling producers that she started making adult content as soon as she turned 18.
“Tiktok inspired me to make it,” she said.
“If they can do it, I can do it.”
Charlie then went on to accuse older women of being “jealous” because OnlyFans “wasn’t around when they were younger and they just had to be a housewife.”
The 19-year-old is then filmed getting to her knees to do a ‘beer bong’ - a funnel with long tube that allows someone to rapdily drink alcohol.
When it came to declaring what content she was happy to produce, nothing was off the table for the bubbly teen.
“Up until now, I’ve been doing solo content and have been a ‘faceless’ creator,” she said.
“I’ve literally done everything, without my face in it.”
Mr Saunders has led the party since 2023 after defeating former deputy premier Paul Toole in a leadership ballot.
Opposition Leader Mark Speakman said Mr Saunders would remain a “champion for his Dubbo electorate”.
He recalled meeting the former ABC Western Plains broadcaster several times before he entered politics, stating he was “notable for his fairness, intelligence and warmth”.
“People still remember him from calling the Sydney Olympics and his years on ABC Radio, giving locals a voice across the west,” Mr Speakman said.
“When he entered politics, those strengths as a broadcaster readily moved across.
“I’ve valued very much his steady, collegiate and constructive counsel and diligence when we were ministers together and later as party leaders together.”
Former deputy prime minister Michael McCormack thanked Mr Saunders for his work.
“Having worked closely with Dugald since he became Dubbo’s MP in 2019, I know how passionate he is about country people and regional outcomes,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The NSW Nationals and the NSW Farmers, a non-governmental organisation, also thanked Mr Saunders.
In recent weeks, Mr Saunders has been vocal in parliament on a range of issues affecting regional NSW, including youth crime, fallout from the Great Koala National Park, and assistance for flood-affected communities.
His departure comes at a difficult time for the NSW opposition after both the federal Liberal and Nationals parties voted to can net-zero targets.
The NSW Nationals last week resolved to dump net-zero targets despite Opposition Leader Mark Speakman continuing to back the targets.
Polling presented to state MPs last week reportedly showed a majority of voters in all but one of the Liberal-held seats were in favour of keeping net zero as a policy position.
