Barnaby Joyce has seized an early lead as the first polling booths return the results of the New England by-election and is poised to take back his old seat.
Mr Joyce may have benefited from a sympathy vote, with a large swing towards the Coalition and Labor’s vote dropping by double digits.
Joined by Malcolm Turnbull on the podium, the jubilant former deputy prime minister thanked a boisterous crowd of supporters wearing ‘Barney Army’ T-shirts.
‘We’re going back to work tomorrow, God bless the country and all the best!’ Mr Joyce said as he ended an emotional victory speech.
The former deputy prime minister is projected to win with 71.16 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote after four of 103 polling places returned results to the Australian Electoral Commission on Saturday evening.
The Nationals federal leader’s closest rival, Labor’s David Ewings, picked up the remaining 28.84 per cent.
Barnaby Joyce returned to the New England electorate to cast his vote in the by-election
Barnaby Joyce (pictured) seized an early lead as the first polling booths return the results of the New England by-election and is poised to take back his old seat
The former deputy prime minister (pictured) is projected to win with 71.16 per cent of the two candidate preferred vote after four of 103 polling places returned results to the Australian Electoral Commission on Saturday evening
However, with just a tiny fraction of the vote counted there are still hours until a clear winner emerges.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull met with his former deputy at a polling booth in Tamworth just before voting closed.
‘There have been some personalities and there have been some tensions, there is no doubt about that,’ Mr Turnbull told reporters when questioned about the calls from within the Nationals for his resignation.
‘The people of New England, returning Barnaby today, are making a great contribution to the government.’
The Nationals federal leader’s closest rival, Labor’s David Ewings, picked up the remaining 28.84 per cent (pictured are Mr Joyce and Mr Turnbull celebrating)
Barnaby Joyce greets Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at McCarthy Catholic College in Tamworth on Saturday
Barnaby Joyce greets prime minister Malcolm Turnbull pose for a selfie with a woman at McCarthy Catholic College in Tamworth on Saturday
The pair played down talk of splintering within the coalition, with Mr Turnbull saying his friendship and working relationship with Mr Joyce was the most important in the government.
‘The relationship between our parties is strong and Barnaby is a strong leader,’ he said.
He said the sooner Mr Joyce is back in Canberra at the helm of the National party and the deputy prime ministership, the better.
Minutes after the meeting, Mr Joyce told reporters he had been contacted by one of the rumoured agitators – Queensland MP George Christensen.
He said Mr Christensen had affirmed his allegiance to the party with the return of Mr Joyce and following the announcement of the banking royal commission.
The former Deputy MP leaves after voting at Woolbrook Primary School on Saturday afternoon
Voting has officially closed in New England and counting is under way.
Mr Joyce has apologised to the electorate for putting them through the snap by-election because of his New Zealand citizenship.
He is facing off against 16 opponents, but without a singularly prominent rival, analysts expect him to comfortably regain his seat.
Mr Joyce, along with father James and mother Marie, voted at Woolbrook Public School on Saturday afternoon while the rest of the electorate’s approximately 110,000 voters did the same at polling booths across the region.
Barnaby Joyce greets his mother Marie Joyce (left) as she arrives to vote at Woolbrook Primary
Mr Joyce arrives at his pop-up office in Glen Innes in the New England electorate on Friday
Mr Joyce said returning to his roots was a chance to show he would keep fighting for rural inhabitants in the ‘weatherboard and iron’ communities.
‘What people ask for in these communities are things like mobile phone reception, some sort of parity in their opportunities. They want you to seal their roads, to stop the centralisation of services away from them,’ he told reporters outside the school on Saturday.
He joked being school captain was now the highest office he held since being ousted from the position of deputy prime minister in late October.
Mr Joyce, the overwhelming favourite in the by-election, said it was very important to return to Canberra to continue his work.
He acknowledged towns in Victoria which are at risk of flooding and urged his political colleagues to greenlight the regional investment corporation bill to inject financial aid to rural communities in times of hardship.
Former deputy PM Barnaby Joyce talked to Glen Innes residents in the New England electorate
Mr Joyce speaks to media after voting at Woolbrook Primary inn the New England electorate
When asked if he’d like to send a message to his coalition colleagues who have pushed for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to resign, Mr Joyce fire back quickly ‘I’ll be back tomorrow’.
Analysts expect Mr Joyce to regain his seat in the New England electorate in the by-election
Barnaby Joyce’s parents Marie Joyce (left) and James Joyce leave after voting at Woolbrook