New Nationals leader and Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce headed for Darwin to support Sam McMahon at CLP preselection

Resurrected Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will touch down in Darwin ahead of Saturday’s Senate preselection battle for the Country Liberal Party.

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RESURRECTED Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will touch down in Darwin ahead of Saturday’s Senate preselection for the Country Liberal Party.

After toppling Michael McCormack in a party-room ballot on Monday morning, Mr Joyce will fly from Canberra to lend support to incumbent senator Sam McMahon, in what is set to be a hotly-contested ticket.

Mr Joyce had earlier pointed to the Darwin area as one of three key battlegrounds in the federal election, which could called for as early as the end of this year.

“The issue is the next election … it’s going to be one in three places, the Hunter Valley … Central Queensland and in and around Darwin,” he said.

New Australian Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Martin Ollman

Senator McMahon said she has “a very close relationship” with Mr Joyce, which she would use to benefit Territorians.

“I … will use this to push for even more for the NT, and in fact he is so supportive of me he is coming to Darwin this weekend to show his support,” she said.

Senator McMahon said she hoped her efforts in the role since 2019 would win her the support to retain the CLP ticket’s top spot.

“You can never take preselection for granted but I am confident that I have delivered for the Territory and that my record of delivery, including the direct access to the government, will be recognised and supported,” she said.

“The preselection is important because the Territory has, through my representation significant momentum in delivering.

“This will be disrupted and the Territory will have to start all over again if there is a change.”

Senator McMahon said winning the Labor-held seats of Lingiari and Solomon was important for “having a voice that sits with government”.

“At the moment we have two Lower House representatives who are in opposition and as a consequence cannot deliver anything for the Territory,” she said.

CLP president said Jamie de Brenni said that while he wouldn’t know who’s been vetted to run until the day of the preselection, he was excited by the strength of the candidates who had announced their nomination.

“It’s exciting times as a Territorian and as a conservative,” he said.

“It proves that the Territory has some very good leaders and that they want to stand up and represent the Territory.”

Alice Springs Deputy Mayor Jacinta Price and Tim Dixon, chief of staff to Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro, are among the candidates who have nominated for preselection.

Director of defence and veterans engagement at Defence NT Linda Fazldeen has also confirmed her intention to run for the top spot.

With Prime Minister Scott Morrison in isolation following his return from the G7 in the UK, Mr Joyce returned to the Nationals leadership while Mr McCormack was the acting prime minister.

The return comes more than three years after being forced to stand aside, when news of an extramarital affair became public and after he was subject to sexual harassment allegations, which he strongly denied.