Barnaby Joyce has pushed back against pressure from within his own party to declare he will "of course" be running for re-election in his electorate of New England.
On Monday Nationals MP Ken O'Dowd called on the former deputy prime minister to consider his future and confirm whether or not he would be continuing his political career.
Joyce was talking to reporters on Tuesday when he said he was "still working" for New England and continuing with meetings in the electorate.
Later in the day Joyce said he had been "humbled" by the support of his constituency.
New England MP .@Barnaby_Joyce says he is disappointed to hear people say he won't be contesting the next election: "I will certainly be contesting and have been humbled by the support I have received so far from around the New England electorate". #2nmnews #auspol https://t.co/i43odFCMYm
O'Dowd's suggestion comes in the wake of a $150,000 television interview Joyce and his partner, Vikki Campion, had with the Seven Network's Sunday Night show. In April Campion gave birth to the couple's first child, Sebastian.
The controversial interview, which did not attract the huge audience Seven would have been hoping for on Sunday night, included the pair claiming members of the National Party had told Campion to terminate her pregnancy.
"They came to me and they said, ‘You’re pregnant and you have to get an abortion’," Campion said.
Joyce also said in the interview that upon finding out Campion – a former staffer of his – was pregnant, he "knew straight away" he would lose his job as deputy prime minister.