As the dust settled on the May 3 election, it was perhaps the divorce many saw coming: The Nationals walking away from their Coalition partner, the Liberals.
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Member for New England Barnaby Joyce sees this as an opportunity for The Nationals - a time to focus on policy development as the Nats bide their time until the next federal election.
Mr Joyce confirmed he took part in the meeting, which ultimately resulted in The National's call to walk away from their Coalition partnership, but would not be drawn on how he voted on the issue.
"I will not say whether I did or did not support the move because once people start doing that, you take away the rights of other people to keep their position confidential - and that is so important," he said.
Mr Joyce indicated The Nationals now had a great capacity to articulate an independent message away from party-room constraints, where seats in urban capital cities had to also be appeased.
"We have to take advantage of this the best way we can," he said.
"Rather than say I've got to start working out how to get closer to Bellevue Hill, I have to get closer to Moonbi Hill."
"In the short term we are in opposition, so I don't think [the split] has much effect to be honest - I think it is more good for the development of policy," he said.
"We are in opposition, and solidly in opposition, and have to work with the reality there is a Labor government.
"I have already started reaching out to key people in the Labor Party to congratulate them on their win and to build bridges so we don't get left behind, that [New England] gets looked after as best as we can in the political circumstances we find ourselves in."
Mr Joyce said the political circumstances were "none of [The Nationals] doing, we all did a pretty good job".
"In New England, we went well - we went from a very good position to an even better position," he said.
"I hope people reflect on why that is the case in a time when we are both running our own show in trying to rebuild in such a form as we can regain the confidence of the Australian people."
Cancer scare
Mr Joyce underwent surgery for prostate cancer on May 5, and while he's still under doctor's orders not to travel, he has returned to work.
He said the operation was "a complete success", and he was gradually getting back into the swing of things.
On Monday, May 19, Mr Joyce was spotted attending a sale in Tamworth and a funeral in town, before heading to the office.
Doctors have advised Mr Joyce not to fly yet, and as he's not keen on sitting in a car for the 800-kilometre trip to Canberra, his constituents across the New England can expect to see much more of their federal member in the coming weeks.
While speaking with the Leader, Mr Joyce also addressed some comments which had been circulating since news of his surgery broke, indicating he should have mentioned the cancer surgery before the election.
"I absolutely would have if the doctor had said this is really serious and there is a possibility you could die," he said.
"I would have resigned."
