Michael McCormack has vowed to serve a full term if re-elected as Member for Riverina, even if the Coalition loses the May 18 election.
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"I'm not going to cause a byelection, if that's what you're asking," Mr McCormack told The Daily Advertiser from Darwin, in response to questions about whether he would stay on.
Mr McCormack also confirmed he would like to remain party leader.
"Well of course, but we'll see how things pan out," he said. "There's lots of ifs, buts and maybes about May 18.
"I still never forget the fact that Riverina people are the ones I'm here to serve first and that is why I have been to every one of my local government areas during the election campaign.
"I speak to the mayors every week, I speak to local people every week. I never forget from where I come, I never forget that Riverina needs a representative who, yes, might be deputy prime minister, but he is also their local member."
Stewart Jackson, a lecturer in politics at the University of Sydney, believes Mr McCormack will retain Riverina.
"There will be the leader effect in Riverina. Mr McCormack should win," Dr Jackson said.
Mr McCormack was elected as leader of The Nationals in February 2018 after the resignation of Barnaby Joyce. At the time, Malcolm Turnbull was Prime Minister, but was later replaced by Scott Morrison.
"Obviously we are in a coalition with the Liberal party and I do, very much, have great faith in Scott Morrison and what the Liberal Party have to offer this nation," Mr McCormack said.
Mr McCormack said that despite claims that parties like One Nation, Shooters, Fishers, Farmers and United Australia Party that they were possible replacements with voters for The Nationals, "we're still there".
"There's been many people trying to do that over many years. We're still there because people can have faith in us," he said.
"We've been going for 100 years."
Dr Jackson believes that the greater threat to Nationals MPs' bids for re-election is coming not from One Nation and the UAP, but from high-profile independents.
He said the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers are only running in one lower house seat, but they would otherwise have provided stronger adversaries.
"One Nation and the United Australia Party are not cut from the same cloth as the SFF," he said.
Ahead of the May 18 federal election, The Daily Advertiser will speaking to each of the four Riverina candidates and seeking their views on a wide range of issues. The series will be published in the days leading up to the poll.
