Member for Bathurst, Paul Toole doesn't take the loss of the NSW National party leadership personally.
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In fact, he said it felt as though "there's a weight lifted off my shoulders."
After a stint as Deputy Premier and the Leader of the Nationals party, Mr Toole lost both positions in a matter of weeks.
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Mr Toole was elected the Leader of the Nationals and the 19th Deputy Premier in 2021 when his predecessor, John Barilaro retired from politics.
Following a Coalition defeat at the NSW State Election in March, Mr Toole lost the leadership to Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders early last month.
"At the end of the day, to be a leader of a party is a great opportunity," Mr Toole said.
"In politics, there's always people who are ambitious, and there's people that are always seeking higher positions.
"But that's part of the beast that you're actually involved in."
Mr Toole said it was "a great honour and privilege" as he reflected on his time as the Deputy Premier of New South Wales.
With great privilege comes a lot of work, he mused.
"There was a lot of traveling around regional New South Wales, but it was also about making sure we highlighted those things that matter to people in the country," Mr Toole said.
Life post-leadership has meant a change in pace for Mr Toole, who said it provides him with the opportunity to be on the ground in his electorate.
"There was a huge task involved in actually having to in having to travel across the state. And now my travel workload has well and truly been reduced," Mr Toole said.
"But it means now that I can just focus on the boundaries of my electorate. And I think that's important at this point in time."
He said the it is nice to spend quality time with the community.
"Whether it's an individual, a group, or a business, I'm able to give them a good part of my time to actually hear and see what matters to them," Mr Toole said.
"And it's important to be able to advocate in the right direction for what their needs are."
Despite being in opposition, Mr Toole said he will continue advocating for the needs of the electorate.
"We can't afford to go back to the bad old days where regional New South Wales is forgotten and governments only look at New South Wales as Newcastle, Sydney and Wollongong," Mr Toole said.
"When regional New South Wales is doing well, then so is the whole of the state."
Mr Toole said he is proud of what he has achieved as Deputy Premier, Leader and Member for Bathurst.
"It [being Deputy Premier] was an experience I'll never forget, one that I was honored to have," Mr Toole said.
"It's nice to be able to say that a Deputy Premier has come out of the out of the Bathurst electorate."
Reidun Berntsen
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
Reidun is a Journalist and writer who lives in a country town 3 hours from Sydney, Australia. From a young age, Reidun has been in love with words and the infinite possibilities they bring. Stories, features and poems have been a major part of her writing career.
