NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance will face a preselection battle against the Liberal party's former candidate for Eden-Monaro Fiona Kotvojs after announcing he would make a tilt at a seat in Canberra.
The announcement by Mr Constance was somewhat overshadowed on Tuesday by reports NSW deputy premier John Barilaro sent scathing text messages to federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack accusing the deputy prime minister of failing to support him because he felt "threatened".
"Michael. Please do not contact me. Your lack of public enthusiasm or support for my candidacy went a long way to my final decision," Mr Barilaro wrote in the leaked messages according to Sky News.
"Don't hide behind the 'members will choose the candidate' rubbish, as you were the only one saying such lines," the network said Mr Barilaro's message said.
"To feel threatened by me clearly shows you have failed your team and failed as a leader."
Mr Constance told reporters earlier in the day in Narooma that he and Mr Barilaro were friends and that he wouldn't have run against the NSW Nationals leader.
Communities in Eden-Monaro have borne the brunt of the summer's bushfire crisis, with both Mr Constance and Labor's candidate Kristy McBain rising to national prominence through the way they represented their communities.
The double blow of the bushfires and COVID-19 restrictions hitting the economy are set to be the major themes of the campaign, with Mr Constance saying health and wellbeing of locals was a massive hole in the country's approach to recovery from natural disasters.
"There's been thousands of people left traumatised by both of these catastrophes, particularly myself, I experienced it," Mr Constance said.
He also called for the establishment of a national disaster relief fund, taking aim at charities who are yet to distribute $127 million in donations made that were intended for bushfire survivors.
Mr Constance said the case he would be making to the Liberal party would be for healing the community.
During the bushfire crisis Mr Constance said Prime Minister Scott Morrison got the "welcome he deserved" in his local community, but on Tuesday said the relationship had been repaired and praised Mr Morrison's response to COVID-19.
"People don't care about politics between Scott Morrison and Andrew Constance."
While Mr Constance had previously said he would quit politics after the fires, on Tuesday he said he wanted to help broken people in the recovery effort and he was passionate about the electorate.
Nominations for Liberal preselection close on Friday, with Senator Jim Molan, who is based in Queanbeyan, also considering whether he will put his hand up and attempt to move to the lower house.
Eden-Monaro was once considered a bellwether seat, until Labor's Mike Kelly won the seat back in 2016 despite the election of a Coalition government. The seat, which includes the Bega Valley, Snowy Mountains and regional centres like Yass and Queanbeyan, remains marginal.
"It's going to be a tight byelection," Mr Constance said.
A date for the poll hasn't been set, with the Australian Electoral Commission set to advice Speaker Tony Smith on possible dates and measures to cope with COVID-19.
