Senator Barnaby Joyce has confirmed his interest in standing for the NSW seat of New England. Source: AAP
NATIONALS senator Barnaby Joyce says asking if he'll be the next deputy prime minister is like wanting to know if he will become the Pope.
The high-profile senator has confirmed his interest in standing for the NSW seat of New England after the shock withdrawal of preselected state MP Richard Torbay.
The announcement has fuelled speculation that once in the lower house Mr Joyce would be in pole-position to become deputy prime minister in a coalition government.
But Mr Joyce says there are too many hypotheticals to consider before it comes to that.
"I was just waiting for when I was going to become the Pope and the king and an astronaut," he told ABC television.
The Queensland senator has previously indicated he would like to lead the Nationals in the lower house, but on Wednesday said he would only like to that once incumbent Warren Truss retired.
"I have no intention whatsoever of challenging Warren Truss," he said.
"Warren Truss is the safest set of hands in Canberra - he'll be the deputy prime minister."
But Mr Joyce's potential opponent in the seat of New England and the electorate's incumbent MP, Tony Windsor, said it was all about leadership aspirations.
"I don't think he's got anything to do with New England or the people of New England," Mr Windsor told ABC radio earlier on Wednesday.
"It's all about Barnaby and his lust for power."
Asked about his motive, Mr Joyce said it was to ensure the coalition won government.
Mr Joyce took a swipe back at Mr Windsor.
"Tony wasn't straight with (the voters of New England) at the start, he didn't say before the election, 'look I might back the Labor party and the Greens,'" he said.
"The government he sponsors everyday is a rolling fiasco."
The National Party's state chairman Niall Blair will not say why support for Richard Torbay was withdrawn, but he did say legal advice was being sought over "matters" that predated Mr Torbay's membership.
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