The NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party is in disarray after two MPs quit over their leader's misogynistic comments to a former party colleague in parliament.
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Barwon MP Roy Butler and Orange MP Philip Donato announced their resignations from the party on Monday, a month after telling leader Robert Borsak to quit over his remarks.
In parliament on September 21, Mr Borsak suggested independent MP and former party member Helen Dalton should be "clocked".
Mr Donato, Mr Butler and upper house member Mark Banasiak met Mr Borsak in the final two sitting weeks of NSW parliament last month and told him to stand down.
At the party's annual meeting in Singleton on Saturday, Mr Donato said the leader was again pressed on the comments but remained unrepentant.
Mr Donato quit at the meeting and sent his formal resignation to the party on Monday. He and Mr Butler will stand as independents at the March election.
The Shooters were already facing internal struggles, Mr Donato said, and Mr Borsak's outburst was the final straw.
"He's never tried to withdraw those comments, he's never apologised, he's never tried to clarify them," Mr Donato told AAP.
"From someone with my own personal and professional integrity and credibility, and my background as a police officer and a prosecutor, I can't continue to support a leader like that."
Mr Butler told AAP his position had also become untenable.
"Fifty per cent of my voters are women. They don't expect me to stand idly by with a comment like that and just do nothing about it," he said.
"I tried to do something about it and keep the party in one piece. But unfortunately, that's not the way it's gone."
The MPs began a push to change members of the party executive, attempting to move out Mr Borsak's key allies, including his son.
However, their attempts to reform the top ranks were unsuccessful.
"While the composition of that executive exists, nothing's going to change," Mr Donato said.
The resignations mean the Shooters Party is not represented in the lower house, after Helen Dalton quit and became an independent in March.
Mr Donato said independents could play a vital role in a potential minority government.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said he would work with independents and members of the crossbench, regardless of minority or majority rule.
"What's most important is that you work with all members of parliament. We represent their electorates to achieve legislation that improves the lives of people across our state," Mr Perrottet said.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole said the resignations were another instance of Shooters Party infighting.
"This goes to show the Shooters Party brand is diving because people are actually seeing ... the party do not represent the people in this state."
Mr Donato and Mr Butler are popular MPs in their western NSW electorates, which cover a large part of the state.
Mr Butler was elected in 2019 with a 19.5 per cent swing from the National Party.
Mr Donato won a by-election in 2016 when Andrew Gee moved to federal politics, and he held the seat with a 36.9 per cent swing from the Nationals in 2019.
A Shooters Party spokeswoman declined to comment.
Australian Associated Press
