Probably not the dream run he’d hoped for when he was elected after – let’s just say – a rather interesting campaign last year.

But today all will be decided, with the High Court set to hand down it’s ruling on the dual citizenship debacle.

Of course the Member for New England is not the only one who probably didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.

The High Court will also announce its ruling for former Greens senators Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam (who have both stepped down in the wake of the controversy), One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts, Nationals senators Fiona Nash and Matt Canavan, and Senator Nick Xenophon, who has already stepped down from his position to take a run at the South Australian state election.

Inherited, or not, the High Court has to determine if the Member for New England and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce can stay on in the job, or if voters will have to decide his replacement in a by-election. 

It’s worth noting here that if Mr Joyce is disqualified from holding the seat because of his dual citizenship, which he has since renounced, the earliest a by-election could be held is December 2.

There’s already been some interest from candidates in this regard and there’s little doubt it would be a hard fought race.

Already it’s been a long and, some would say, not-so-polite road.

In just the last week alone there’s been a campaign of dirty tricks launched, in the form of a fake poll circulated to selected national media over the weekend. It suggested that Mr Joyce had something of a tenuous hold on the seat when up against an old rival in former independent Tony Windsor. 

But it never actually happened.

Hey Mr Trump – that really is ‘fake news’.

Surely we deserve better.

If there is to be an election campaign – and that’s yet to be clarified depending on the High Court ruling this afternoon – then let’s make sure it’s a campaign with some integrity.

We don’t need to see a bag of dirty tricks unleashed on this electorate – especially from outside the area by people who think they are doing us a favour.

Get real, and get on with it – either way of course.

The High Court will announce it’s determination on Friday at 2.15pm.