Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack might be a key part of the Coalition, but when pushed he will "always pick a Nat".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Day two of the federal election campaign started with a visit by Mr McCormack to Wodonga.
He arrived with a catch phrase, mentioning multiple times that Indi "had a friend" in Mark Byatt.
"I'm looking forward to having a neighbour here in Mark Byatt so we can chew the fat, maybe halfway, maybe at Henty," he said.
"We need Mark Byatt, we need him in the National Party room to continue to fight for regional Australia, continue to fight for Indi.
"This region needs a representative that will make sure that the services are delivered."
Indi is one of the few seats which will have Liberal and Nationals candidates competing against each other, despite being on the same side federally.
"We are united, we are in a coalition, but when it boils down I'll always pick a Nat because I am the National Party leader and I truly believe that the National Party represents rural and regional Australia," Mr McCormack said.
Asked how the party would attract more than the 17 per cent of the vote it received in 2016, he could not answer specially but said "we're going to get a whole lot more".
Independent candidate Helen Haines said this week "Libs and the Nats are throwing lots of money at us", in relation to their advertising blitz.
The Nationals have posters of Mr Byatt plastered around the electorate and even at Friday's press conference, but when asked what other advertising was planned, Mr McCormack played down the spending.
"Mark will most of all be out at town hall meetings, getting out and about meeting and greeting people," he said.
The pair was at Huon Hill Hotel early yesterday morning to meet with about 50 Wodonga business people, including Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie, and spruik the government's budget.
"I'm really looking forward to listening to the business people of Wodonga, of Indi," Mr McCormack said.
Mr Byatt said he had been getting his priorities for the campaign from talking to the community, saying "both the National Party and myself will be going extremely hard over that period".
He also singled out the importance of an increase in Roads to Recovery program funding for councils.
"Our small rural councils really struggle in the space to maintain their assets, there's a massive backlog in asset maintenance and repairs that's required," he said.
Any federal National Party election campaign is traditionally known as the "wombat trail", so Mr McCormack made sure he had his wooden wombat by his side for the event.
MORE FEDERAL ELECTION NEWS: