Joyce sets sights on key seat

Natalie (left), Odette, 8, Bridgette, 14, Julia, 13, and Caroline, 11, at Lennox Head with their father, The Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce, while on holiday.

Marc Stapelberg

WHILE the seat of New England may be in the sights of The Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce, the rest of Northern NSW can rest assured it is safe from Senator Joyce’s wandering political eyes.

The political sphere was sent into a spin this week when the Queensland Senator confirmed he would consider contesting Independent MP Tony Windsor’s seat of New England at the next Federal election.

Although Senator Joyce was thoroughly enjoying a family holiday in Lennox Head yesterday, he said he would not consider a permanent relocation to the seat of Richmond or Page.

“It’s always been when people say they consider something, they consider everything,” he said.

“[But] I’m not even going to say I’ll consider standing (for Richmond or Page).”

Senator Joyce said he would consider the Lower House seat of New England, as there was a Nationals sitting Member in the Queensland electorate of Maranoa where he lived..

“It’s rude to say ‘I’m going to stand against someone in a seat when they are standing next to you in the same party room’,” he said.

“I would be very sad about leaving Queensland.

"Obviously, it is the seat where I live but it’s not available and it has a sitting member in it.

“Its sad leaving a house and moving your kids but as most people understand when it comes to work, you go where the work is.

“(New England) is a seat I grew up in.

"All I can do is consider it but it’s the choice of the seats.

“If they want you they do but if they don’t, so be it.”

However, a move back to his hometown of Tamworth is not imminent.

Tony Windsor secured the New England seat by a 21.6% margin in last year’s election but Senator Joyce still believed it was winnable.

“The issue is people feel let down by the fact he breached their trust when he said he would reflect what they wanted in his job,” he said.

“They never thought they voted for a Green Labor Independent government.”

While Senator Joyce said he would not challenge The Nationals’ Warren Truss for the party leadership and potential deputy prime minister spot, he did not rule out a climb to the top.

“He is a friend.

"I think he is very competent.

“At some stage in the distant future if Warren steps down then I, like everyone else, would throw a ring around it.

"That’s stating the obvious.”