AAP


High-profile Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce has confirmed interest in standing for the NSW seat of New England after the shock withdrawal of preselected state MP Richard Torbay.


Mr Torbay on Tuesday was asked by The Nationals to pull out of the race for New England and resign from the party.


The party's state chairman Niall Blair would only say legal advice was being sought over "matters" that predated Mr Torbay's membership.


The surprise announcement, which has led to speculation about alleged links between the independent NSW MP and disgraced former Labor powerbroker Eddie Obeid, has thrown Senator Joyce's name into the ring as a possible replacement.


The Queensland senator grew up in the New England region and previously has expressed a desire to stand against sitting independent Tony Windsor.


An unusually understated Senator Joyce on Wednesday said he would be prepared to put his name forward, but only after consulting with friends and those from the New England electorate.


"I am prepared to put myself forward if that is what the people wish," the Queensland senator told reporters in Canberra.


"There are two obvious places that a person should stand, and one is where they live, and I live in Maranoa, and one is where they grew up, and I grew up in the New England."


Senator Joyce said he would not want any contest against Mr Windsor to be a "personal fight" against the independent MP.


"I want it to be a fight policy and about exactly where this nation is off to," he said.


Nationals leader Warren Truss said he expected the party to call nominations within days, and choose a candidate within weeks.


Mr Truss said he did not know why Mr Torbay was forced to withdraw from New England.


"It is just so disappointing that there seems to be some issue in the past that potentially has tainted that outstanding record of service in the community," he told reporters in Canberra.


Mr Truss said Senator Joyce would be an excellent candidate.


"It's a very big decision for him to make, because he has a term yet to complete in the Senate."


Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said Senator Joyce would "make a very, very strong candidate".


"Barnaby is a friend, he's a colleague, he's a very senior member of my team," Mr Abbott told reporters in Canberra.


However, Mr Windsor took aim at the senator, saying his interest in New England was simply about positioning himself for leadership of The Nationals.


"I don't think he's got anything to do with New England or the people of New England," the MP told ABC Radio.


"It's all about Barnaby and his lust for power."


Mr Windsor said The Nationals had questions to answer about Mr Torbay and his links to Mr Obeid, outlined in recent newspaper reports and in diaries kept by the former Labor MP.


The diaries were tendered to a recent corruption inquiry in Sydney.


"One would have to ask what were those diary entries about, particularly seeing that he (Mr Torbay) is a Nationals candidate and Eddie Obeid is a disgraced Labor operative," Mr Windsor said.