Tony Windsor announced his intention to run as a candidate in the seat of New England for the next election.
"I'm serious about this. We'll mount a full-scale grassroots campaign," Mr Windsor told reporters in a marathon press conference this morning.
"I'm fully aware it will be a David and Goliath event."
Already the fierce political and strategic muscle flexing is playing out, after Mr Windsor travelled to Canberra for the well-publicised media conference to confirm his intentions, while Barnaby Joyce stationed himself in Tamworth's main street for a media event pre-empting the outcome.
Windsor held New England for 12 years and played kingmaker for the Gillard government before bowing out of federal politics in 2013, citing health and family reasons.
In the 2013 election, Joyce ditched his position in the Senate representing Queensland, moved to Tamworth, and ran a successful campaign to return the seat to the Nationals.
Windsor's widely anticipated move pits one of the most senior members of the Turnbull Government against a highly successful independent who has based his career on fighting for local electorate issues.
He has had a bitter and long-running dispute with the National Party, stemming from the decision to disendorse him at the beginning of his political career.
The animosity has run throughout his time in state and federal politics. Windsor said his campaign is not about Joyce but he also foreshadowed a tough political campaign.
"One thing that can happen here though is that people can demonstrate — if they're serious about their own futures — they can send an enormous message to this place, and fight the political machines that are going to move in on this in an attempt to grind me up," Windsor said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten delivered his assessment of the race for New England, strongly backing Mr Windsor's campaign.
"There are two people running in New England one is a respected politician and the other is the deputy PM," he said.
Tony Windsor never got less than 45 per cent of the vote in New England when he contested it, and he had no difficulty in any years in contesting it.
His vote hasn't gone to zero, so he is a competitor.
Joyce got 54 per cent of the preference vote last time. If he loses 12 per cent of his vote, he has a race on his hands, so it is a seat well worth watching.
Windsor would be unlikely to recover the 60 per cent of votes he used to get, so it will be a willing contest, no doubt about it.
"I would feel bad if I didn't do this," he said.
He named moves to allow mining on the Liverpool Plains among his chief concerns.
Mr Windsor has been a strong opponent of the Chinese-owned Shenhua Watermark coal mine near Gunnedah, and argues it could damage the area's groundwater.
He has accused the incumbent Joyce of not doing enough to campaign against the mine.
Last year, Mr Joyce defied former prime minister Tony Abbott and spoke out against the Watermark project.
Mr Windsor claims he supports mining when it is not on prime agricultural land, and has consistently defended his own decision based on that justification.
"I'm serious about this. We'll mount a full-scale grassroots campaign," Mr Windsor told reporters in a marathon press conference this morning.
"I'm fully aware it will be a David and Goliath event."
Already the fierce political and strategic muscle flexing is playing out, after Mr Windsor travelled to Canberra for the well-publicised media conference to confirm his intentions, while Barnaby Joyce stationed himself in Tamworth's main street for a media event pre-empting the outcome.
Windsor held New England for 12 years and played kingmaker for the Gillard government before bowing out of federal politics in 2013, citing health and family reasons.
In the 2013 election, Joyce ditched his position in the Senate representing Queensland, moved to Tamworth, and ran a successful campaign to return the seat to the Nationals.
Windsor's widely anticipated move pits one of the most senior members of the Turnbull Government against a highly successful independent who has based his career on fighting for local electorate issues.
He has had a bitter and long-running dispute with the National Party, stemming from the decision to disendorse him at the beginning of his political career.
The animosity has run throughout his time in state and federal politics. Windsor said his campaign is not about Joyce but he also foreshadowed a tough political campaign.
"One thing that can happen here though is that people can demonstrate — if they're serious about their own futures — they can send an enormous message to this place, and fight the political machines that are going to move in on this in an attempt to grind me up," Windsor said.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten delivered his assessment of the race for New England, strongly backing Mr Windsor's campaign.
"There are two people running in New England one is a respected politician and the other is the deputy PM," he said.
Liverpool Plains among Windsor's chief concerns
Mr Windsor said in a world governed by those who "turn up", he now felt compelled to return to the political fray.Tony Windsor never got less than 45 per cent of the vote in New England when he contested it, and he had no difficulty in any years in contesting it.
His vote hasn't gone to zero, so he is a competitor.
Joyce got 54 per cent of the preference vote last time. If he loses 12 per cent of his vote, he has a race on his hands, so it is a seat well worth watching.
Windsor would be unlikely to recover the 60 per cent of votes he used to get, so it will be a willing contest, no doubt about it.
"I would feel bad if I didn't do this," he said.
He named moves to allow mining on the Liverpool Plains among his chief concerns.
Mr Windsor has been a strong opponent of the Chinese-owned Shenhua Watermark coal mine near Gunnedah, and argues it could damage the area's groundwater.
He has accused the incumbent Joyce of not doing enough to campaign against the mine.
Last year, Mr Joyce defied former prime minister Tony Abbott and spoke out against the Watermark project.
Mr Windsor claims he supports mining when it is not on prime agricultural land, and has consistently defended his own decision based on that justification.
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