At this election the Nationals have a chance to increase their parliamentary representation and influence within the Coalition with the Liberals.
But leader Barnaby Joyce has a fight on his hands in his own New South Wales seat of New England.
When he's not going head-to-head with visiting Hollywood actors and their wayward pets, Barnaby Joyce is the new face of Australia's second-oldest political party.
And while Johnny Depp has made the agriculture minister something of an international figure of fun after a war-of-words over the quarantining of the actor's illegally-imported dogs, the National Party leader has a deadly serious challenge ahead closer to home.
In his northern New South Wales electorate of New England on July the Second, Mr Joyce is facing a stiff challenge to stay in parliament from one of his most bitter rivals - the seat's former member.
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Tony Windsor is attempting a political comeback after his key role as an independent between 2010 and 2013 supporting the former Labor Government.
The polls are pointing to a tight contest and Monash University poltical analyst Dr Nick Economou sees the New England battle as something of a referendum on key policy debates during the tumultous years of the Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd prime ministerships.
"Tony Windsor was a very strong supporter of Julia Gillard. He was more loyal to her than the Labor caucus was. He was also the person who brought in the carbon tax , which is a point that is sometimes forgotten. It was Windsor who wanted to go down that path andif that was so reprehensible to the rural constituency as Mr Joyce thinks it was then Mr Joyce should win New England comfortably."
And Mr Joyce's party needs to hold on to its seats to not only to ensure the coalition returns to power but that the Nationals themselves maintain their influence in government.
Their partnership with the Liberals has been enduring but not without its tensions.
The Liberal party supports free market competition, which has often clashed with the traditional philosophy of the Nationals which sets out to protect the economic interests of primary producers.
In recent years, the Nationals have moved more towards freer trade policies and this has led some voters in regional areas turning to local independents with more protectionist ideals.
Professor John Wanna, from the Australian National University, says while Barnaby Joyce has boosted the party's media profile since he took over as leader from his predecessor Warren Truss last year, he's yet to achieve tangible policy results for his constituents in the coalition.
Something Professor Wanna says the Nationals have managed to do over the years they've been in partnership with the Liberals, by carefully picking their targets - and their fights.
"Some of those issues that otherwise the Liberals if left would have made different decisions. For example they have long held the sanctity of the diesel fuel rebate which going forward with climate change and emission reductions it's crazy. We should be increasing the price of diesel and not subsidising it for miners and farmers but that's one thing that they have hung on to and it's one thing that this government in three years hasn't sought to change or take the rebate off."
After forming in 1920, the party has gone through a series of name changes from the Australian Country Party to the National Country Party, the National Party and then finally re-badging itself as The Nationals in 2006.
In Queensland, the party merged with the state's Liberals to become the Liberal National Party in 2008.
At this election, Nick Economou believes the Nationals have a good opportunity to increase their numbers, particuarly with a number of so-called "three-cornered" contests in seats.
Here - because of the retirement of a sitting member - the minor party is allowed to stand against the Liberals under their coalition agreement.
"If the Nationals could win some of these, this will improve their standing in the coalition and could lead to increased representation in the ministry so I think the Nationals have a chance to advance in this election."
And it might just give more strength to Barnaby Joyce's arm when he next locks horns with an international celebrity, if he can survive the electoral swordfight in his own backyard.
