Barnaby Joyce back to work in Canberra, but with a visitor’s pass

Mr Joyce is expected to be reinstated as New England MP, Agriculture Minister and Deputy Prime Minister at the end of the week, after recording one of the biggest swings (12.58 per cent) in by-election history, taking home 64.87 per cent of the primary vote.

“It wasn’t just a victory, it was an absolute resounding victory,” Mr Joyce said in his address to the Nationals’ party room. 

“Now, what that means is people are reading our message, they understand what we are doing.”

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Mr Joyce acknowledged he hadn’t been declared the victor just yet, and as such, was wearing a visitor’s pass.

“What I do know, being a visitor in this building, what an incredible honour it is to be able to walk through the door without one of these things on,” he said.

“For the Coalition in general, I want this to be a reset, absolutely. And I think the Australian people want to as well.

“The Australian people want the Coalition to go well and they really will back us in if we focus in on them.”

Before Mr Joyce is sworn in, the Australian Electoral Commission must first declare the seat, then the Speaker has to return the writ.

Labor’s candidate David Ewings, who called Mr Joyce on election night to congratulate his rival on the victory, said he was “very proud” of the positive campaign his party ran and the result it achieved. 

“We achieved an increase in the Labor primary vote and importantly Labor finished second for the first time in many years,” Mr Ewings said.

“I’d like to thank all our volunteers who worked so hard during the campaign.​ Finally I’d like to thank the New England community for the support they have shown me during this by-election.​”

Labor took home 11.25 per cent of the primary vote, with 26.30 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.