You can almost hear the collective sigh of relief go up around the region.

It’s getting to the pointy end of the campaign and can’t you just tell. 

The seat of New England is certainly proving to be the one to watch this time around, with the battle between the National’s Barnaby Joyce and independent Tony Windsor taking up a fair amount of time in the national media.

They’re at it again this coming Monday night, with a special Four Corners report set to air on the ABC.

This one might be a little different though, where they’re saying the spotlight will be on the very personal contest that has developed in this seat.

It’s been a busy week for both camps and a confronting one for Barnaby Joyce, by all accounts.

A visit to a North Coast macadamia processing facility very nearly turned into a circus, when Senate candidate, and president of the Hemp Party, Michael Balderstone tried to offer the Deputy PM an inflatable joint.

He was upset over the slow process of a NSW trial to do with medicinal cannabis.

Mr Joyce also found himself in the firing line over live cattle exports this week, but with an ally in one sense, after both sides of politics have refused a blanket ban on live exports to Vietnam in the wake of that horrific vision of cattle being bludgeoned to death.

Australian live exporters have agreed to strengthen animal welfare measures as a result.

Of course, though sometimes we lose sight of this fact, there are a few more candidates in this race (10 all up) and they will be “on show”, for want of a better turn of phrase, next Tuesday, as part of a candidates’ debate to be held at the Capitol Theatre.

We’ll be there asking questions and you can be ,too –  just head to our website for more details.

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On another note, some of Tamworth’s brightest will pull on their dancing shoes for charity tonight, as part of Stars of Tamworth, an event to be held at the Capitol Theatre.

All money raised from the event will go to the Cancer Council NSW and rest assured, if you are getting along, you are in for a fantastic night.

Our local celebrities have been practicing for months and won’t disappoint with their moves.