Fellow coalition outcast and good friend Jacinta Nampijinpa Price insists she will wait and see rather than accept scuttlebutt that Barnaby Joyce is about to throw his lot in with Pauline Hanson.

The former party leader abruptly announced his split with the Nationals on Saturday, citing an irreparably broken relationship with its leadership.

He says he won't recontest his northern NSW seat of New England at the next election.

"I am free to now consider all options as to what I do next," Mr Joyce said in a statement distributed to branch members then rapidly leaked to media organisations.

Senator Price, who also quit the minor coalition partner to join the Liberals only to be demoted from cabinet, declined to speculate when asked what Mr Joyce's likely move would be.

"I'd prefer to wai

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