Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall speaks as Dugald Saunders becomes new leader of NSW Nationals replacing Paul Toole

The Nationals rolled its leader Paul Toole, and elected Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders, when the party met on the first day of the new parliament on Monday, May 8.

During the leadership vote, both Mr Toole and Mr Saunders nominated for the position with the latter winning the party room vote 10 to 5, according to party sources.

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It came a month after Mr Saunders was unsuccessful in his attempt to gain leadership in a party room meeting following the state election loss.

"Now that it's done, I hope that everyone will now settle down and focus on the jobs they were sent to Macquarie Street to do," Mr Marshall said, adding they were there to champion the issues in their communities "rather than bickering and talking about each other".

"I know I have no shortage (of) matters to be taking up with the new government and I don't want to see anymore time wanted in internal struggles. It's time to get cracking!

"The last week or two has been, to speak frankly, utterly embarrassing.

"People need to pull their heads in now and get down to the real work," he said.

NSW National party members met in Sydney on Monday to discuss the leadership of Mr Toole amid accusations he had lied about a plan by Nationals upper house MP Ben Franklin to nominate for a plum parliamentary position.

It emerged last week that Mr Franklin was considering nominating for president of the upper house with Labor's backing, and the MP later revealed he had Mr Toole's support.

Mr Franklin told media that Mr Toole had initially supported his plan to nominate.

That revelation contradicted Mr Toole's comments when he told metropolitan media last week that Mr Franklin "should not be accepting the position".

Mr Toole had been the party's leader since October 2021, following the resignation of John Barilaro.

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