Andrew Gee should resign, Nationals ex-Calare member John Cobb says

Mr Cobb - who served the Calare electorate from 2007 to 2016 - cast doubt on Mr Gee's stated reasons for leaving the National Party, and suggested he is unlikely to recontest the seat in 2025.

In a response provided to the CWD on Friday the incumbent confirmed he does plan to run at the next election and hit back, describing the remarks as "personal, malicious and bitter".

The squabble centres on Gee's shock decision to move to the cross bench two days before Christmas. He cited National Party opposition to an Indigenous Voice to Parliament as his primary reason.

This seemingly didn't go down well with lifelong National Mr Cobb, who says significantly more was at play behind closed doors.

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"What's basically happened is he ran out of friends in the State Parliament, came to the Federal Parliament and he's now run out of friends in Federal," he told the CWD on Thursday.

"He's not getting paid any extra salary for being a minister anymore and I rather suspect he's not wanting to have to do those things that a member of a party has to do, or accept leadership from people whose job it is to lead."

In a response Mr Gee said: "These types of personal, malicious and bitter comments are precisely why people are turning away from the major political parties.

"They're right out of the National Party playbook and sadly, I believe we can expect more of them. I think people will see it for what it is and should take what he's said with a grain of salt.

"I would encourage Mr Cobb to channel his energies into getting his party to speed up assistance to our storm and flood hit communities because the appallingly slow rollout of support is one of the reasons I left. And it's still not where it should be."

Andrew Gee was elected to the NSW State parliament in 2011, and shifted to Federal politics in 2016. He was reelected in May, 2022 on the National Party ticket before resigning from the party just over six months later.

Mr Cobb - now 72 - believes Mr Gee's decision warrants resignation as member for the electorate, which spans from Lithgow to Wellington and includes major cities Bathurst and Orange.

"Unfortunately - because he was elected under the guise of being a National - he's still there for another two years," Mr Cobb said.

"If he wanted to be honest about all this, he would resign from parliament. But that's not what this is about - it's about him.

"The National Party has never thrown people out just because they crossed the floor, which is obviously - if he was so personally concerned about this - what he would do."

Mr Cobb said "you can bet your life" the Nationals will run a candidate against the now-independent if he chooses to contest the 2025 election.

"I believe they'll run a very good candidate. I actually doubt very much Andrew Gee will run again, but if he does he's going to get a shock.

"I think what this does, when you think about all the people that put in all the work and the donations - someone being a traitor like this, what it actually does is it energises the party.

"They become extremely angry that someone using their money and their work then - because it suits his personal situation - goes and takes a walk."

Mr Gee said he plans to complete his current term and will contest the seat at the 2025 federal election.

"I had plenty of people come up to me and our booth workers at the last election and tell me they were voting for me despite the party I belonged to," he said.

"The next election will roll around quickly enough when everyone will have their say and I'll be contesting it as an independent."

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