The NSW Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party leader Robert Borsak is under pressure to resign after making "unacceptable" comments about independent MP Helen Dalton, suggesting she should be "clocked".
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In a discrete meeting held at the beginning of the final two sitting weeks of the NSW parliament, Mr Borsak was told by three disgruntled party colleagues to resign from the upper house and not contest the March election.
Phil Donato, Roy Butler and Mark Banasiak became fed up after comments he made in parliament earlier this year, when he suggested his former colleague Helen Dalton, should be "clocked".
Ms Dalton, who quit the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party in March, later labelled the comments "bullying".
"The straw that broke the camel's back were the comments to Helen Dalton," Mr Butler, the member for Barwon, told AAP on Wednesday.
"We can't tolerate violence against women."
"That's that's not what we represent, not what we think," Mr Donato, the MP for Orange, told AAP.
"It was an inappropriate comment and I think to date, Robert has not withdrawn or apologised.
"I don't think he saw it as a problem - he said, 'It's not in Hansard'."
Hansard is the official daily transcript of parliament.
"I was quite blunt. I said, 'Robert, it doesn't matter if it's not in Hansard'.
"There's footage, hearing audibly, quite clearly, your voice saying that."
Mr Donato said the trio had made it clear the comments were unacceptable.
"It's not a pleasant conversation to have," Mr Donato said.
"It's very difficult. It's awkward. It's uncomfortable, but it needed to be had."
Mr Borsak was told he could quietly exit and make final speeches to the parliament.
"We tried to do something discrete and private but that's not how it is now," Mr Butler said.
The MPs also met with the party executive to see if Mr Borsak's position on the party ticket could be downgraded if he chose not to resign.
Ms Dalton said Mr Borsak's comments had opened up a conversation in the parliament about the lack of support for women.
"I'm going to continue to be an independent," Ms Dalton told AAP.
"I think, particularly Robert Borsak, was a handbrake on me," she said, adding she had previously been muzzled from discussing certain issues.
"I'm not going to be silenced by anyone."
AAP has contacted Mr Borsak and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers party for comment.
Australian Associated Press
