The Nationals leader admitted the count seemed poised to go down to the wire, but implored voters to turn their backs on an "incompetent" Labor opposition.

"People are very encouraged by unemployment being down below four per cent ... AAA credit rating and also our vision for what we need to do," he told Sky News.

"(We have to) get this place humming again to make it as strong as possible ... we've got the fundamentals to do that, but I'm not going to second judge the Australian people and say I will win the election ... this is going to be a very tight run show."

Mr Joyce spent Friday morning campaigning in Hunter, where Nationals candidate James Thomson is looking to bridge a three per cent margin and beat Labor candidate Dan Repacholi, who replaces retiring Labor MP Joel Fitzgibbon.

Speaking from Singleton, Mr Joyce said Labor's climate policies would cost local residents coalmining jobs.

"This is a town that's going to get smacked if the Labor-Greens get in," he said.

"We'll make sure we use every moment to show these people we stand behind their jobs, we respect what they do and thank them for the support they give to our nation and the way they bring in the money.

"Somebody's got to make the money ... it's these people here, out in the coalmines, at the farms, they're the ones bringing in the money for our nation."

But Mr Fitzgibbon, who was campaigning in his old seat, predicted a "solid win" for Mr Repacholi and said My Joyce only visited the area to run scare campaigns.

"They (Nationals) are a one-trick pony ... every election it is just a big scare campaign on coalmining and the coalminers and their families are starting to work that out," he told Sky News.

"Most people in the Hunter now understand Labor is committed to the coalmining industry, and the safeguards mechanism will do no harm to any coalmine in this electorate nor anywhere else in the country."

Australian Associated Press