Barnaby Joyce has been formally endorsed as the Nationals candidate to contest the by-election for his seat of New England which became vacant when he was disqualified from parliament.
"I am very humbled the New England people have found it in their hearts to say I should have another crack at this," he told reporters in Glen Innes after the New England Nationals signed off on his candidacy.
"I am going to do my very best on their behalf to make sure I will continue the delivery that we have seen here in New England."
The High Court on Friday ruled Mr Joyce was a dual citizen - his father was born in New Zealand - and therefore disqualified the deputy prime minister and Nationals leader from parliament.
Mr Joyce is expected to retain New England in northern NSW, but could face various challengers from special interest groups upset over government policies.
But one of those opponents will not be former independent MP Tony Windsor, who on Friday said he would not contest the poll.
Acting Opposition Leader Tanya Plibersek said Labor would stand a candidate in the by-election, but did not expect to win New England.
She said voters in the northern NSW electorate should be given an option.
"Why should the people of New England trust Barnaby Joyce again, when all the way along, Barnaby Joyce was saying, sure, I am eligible to be an House of Representatives, but as he admitted yesterday, in his gut, he knew he was not," she told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.
The deputy prime minister's expulsion has plunged the Turnbull government into chaos, with its parliamentary majority in danger at least until the New England by-election on December 2.
Mr Joyce said he would not be distracted by the political games while he is out of the parliament.
"I am right now going to concentrate on two words, New England," he said.
"I'm going to concentrate on New England to make sure the people of New England have the best opportunity to make their deliberations whether they think I'm the candidate to represent them in Canberra."
He said Labor had no policies for regional Australia.
"If the Labor Party wants to really have a shot at me, come up with good policies for regional Australia," he said.
Nominations for candidates close on November 10.
Deputy PM position likely to remain vacant
The job of deputy prime minister will remain vacant while Barnaby Joyce contests a by-election to return to parliament.
Julie Bishop will fill in as acting prime minister when Malcolm Turnbull is overseas, but neither she nor interim Nationals leader Nigel Scullion will be made deputy prime minister.
"There will be no deputy prime minister sworn in," Mr Turnbull told reporters on Saturday.
"There is an order of precedence in circumstances where the prime minister is unable to do his duties."
The traditional order of precedence is for the deputy prime minister, who is leader of the Nationals, and then the deputy leader of the Liberals and then the Leader of the Government in the Senate.
A spokesman for Senator Scullion earlier said keeping the role unfilled was in "the spirit of the (Coalition) agreement".
It's also something Barnaby Joyce expected.
Speaking to reporters in Glen Innes on Saturday, Mr Joyce was asked who should be deputy prime minister.
"Me," he quipped.
