Veterans' Affairs Minister Darren Chester says he will recontest his Victorian seat of Gippsland and remain in the Nationals after Barnaby Joyce's return to the party leadership.
Mr Joyce was sworn in as deputy prime minister this morning for a second time after defeating Michael McCormack yesterday in a party room spill.
Mr Chester, a supporter of Mr McCormack, told his colleagues he would seek counsel about his future after yesterday's vote.
"The reason I said that was because I was a bit shocked by yesterday's process. I did speak to a couple of people that I regard very highly [including] my former boss in [former Victorian deputy premier] Peter Ryan," he said.
"The decision I made was one that I'm telling you right now -- that I've no interest in leaving either my seat of Gippsland or the position of Veterans' Affairs, but the final decision is up to someone else, not me."
Mr Chester is expected to return to the backbench in a reshuffle, possibly to make room for former deputy leader, Senator Bridget McKenzie.
He said he wanted to continue in the role, but he said that was not his decision to make.
Mr Joyce resigned the party's leadership in 2018 after revelations of an extra-marital affair with a staffer and a sexual harassment complaint, which he denies.
Chester denies rift with Joyce
Mr Chester was infrastructure and transport minister under former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, until he was removed from the position by Mr Joyce in late 2017.
He returned to Cabinet as veterans affairs minister after Mr McCormack became leader in the wake of Mr Joyce's resignation.
But he downplayed talk of any rift with Mr Joyce.
"I'm not saying we're best buddies by any stretch, but to pretend that we're some sort of enemy is overstating it enormously."
