Senior Nationals figures and Barnaby Joyce’s local members had been waiting several months for the New England MP to declare he would retire, as the party prepares the difficult task of replacing the popular local member for a years-long battle to retain the seat from independent candidates.

Former party leader Joyce said on the weekend that he would not contest the next federal election and implied he would separate himself from the Nationals party room in Canberra, citing a personality clash with the man who replaced him as party leader, David Littleproud.

Joyce has held New England since 2013, coming after independent Tony Windsor’s 13-year reign in the seat. Climate 200 said there was clearly an opening for a strong independent candidate in the seat after Joyce’s decision.

However,

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