Barnaby Joyce spent a day on the campaign trail in New England shearing sheep just as the field of candidates running in the upcoming by-election is set to grow.
Both Labor and the Greens are expected to announce candidates to run against the recently ousted deputy prime minister within a week.
They'll join independent Rob Taber and Australian Country Party candidate Ian Britza, the only two officially signed on as of Wednesday afternoon.
Mr Britza comes from a conservative background having previously been a West Australian Liberal MP.
"The Liberals and Nationals talk conservative but they've left the values behind," Mr Britza told AAP on Wednesday.
He criticised the Nationals for failing to ensure candidates didn't have dual-citizenship and were thus ineligible to sit in the federal parliament.
"Barnaby's party didn't do the right thing - the Constitution was written in flaming 1900."
Mr Britza's own heritage will turn a few heads as he spent six years of his childhood in Malawi, Africa.
"Both my parents are Australian citizens," he said, assuring voters of his eligibility.
The outsider acknowledged Mr Joyce was the favourite to reclaim the seat but argued he could provide New England with a "genuine conservative" alternative if he could "pull off the upset of the century".
Mr Taber is considered more of a moderate with a focus on renewable energy and a willingness to negotiate with both sides of the floor.
"(The Coalition) is broken at the moment," he said.
"I think it's got major issues, the parliament won't work in the near future. I'd stay totally neutral, I'd vote on my conscience and what the electorate wants."
Mr Taber contested two previous elections and secured approximately 13 per cent of the vote in 2013.
He said he would like to establish a bank for farmers and would support a royal commission into the banks.
"Unless we can get that to happen we can't get anything done with business in this country - particularly for farmers," he said.
Broadband in the bush, particularly for Tamworth, had been neglected by Mr Joyce while he was in power, Mr Taber added.
AAP understands Labor will name its candidate on Thursday for the December 2 by-election.
Local Greens members will meet on Wednesday night. New England Greens spokesman Mercurius Goldstein told AAP the meeting will result in at least one nominee.
Even if Labor and the Greens both contest the by-election it won't worry Mr Joyce too much. In 2016 they won less than 10 per cent of the primary vote combined.
The Shooters, Fishers and Fishers Party has ruled out contesting the by-election as has One Nation and former member Tony Windsor.
Mr Joyce spent Wednesday filming campaign videos away from the public and press who followed him since he was "sent back to the dressing room" by the High Court on Friday.
He posted a video to social media shearing a sheep with the caption "Practising in the shearing shed, just in case the by-election doesn't go my way ..."
