A former West Australian MP has loaded up his ute and is leaving Perth to drive across the Nullarbor to challenge Barnaby Joyce for the seat of New England in the December by-election.

Despite having never lived in the New South Wales electorate, Ian Britza, 63, said he believed he still had a lot to offer.

Mr Britza held the Perth seat of Morley for eight years, but lost it in the March state poll.

He recently quit the Liberal Party and joined the Australian Country Party.

Mr Britza said it was understandable some people might view him as a "blow-in".

"I think it's a cruel word but I don't think it makes any difference," he said.

"It's a legitimate point that I've never lived in New England — even though I lived in New South Wales for 25 years — and it's a fair question."

'Sometimes you need to be from outside of the arena'

He said arriving in New England with a fresh pair of eyes is what made him a good candidate.

"Sometimes you need to be from outside of the arena to see things a lot more clearly and I think that's what I'm looking forward to," he said.

"I haven't grown up there so I don't think I know it. In fact I know I don't know it.

"I'd be open to hear what the people actually think and what are the things that are important to them, so that they can become important to me."

Mr Britza with his 10-year-old son Samuel. ( ABC News: Marcus Alborn )

Mr Britza said looking at it on paper, a victory in the by-election was an impossibility, but as Tony Windsor was not in the race, he believed he could win with a protest vote.

"To me it's not about Barnaby Joyce now. It's about the Nationals and the Liberal Party," he said.

"I think our role will be to be a protest vote against Malcolm Turnbull and the Government, and rightfully so, they've not been good."

Mr Britza said he had planned to move to NSW to be closer to his adult son and young grandchildren long before the citizenship debacle erupted.

Gough Whitlam's advice to young Britza

He spent time growing up both in country WA and in the African country of Malawi. At 15 he moved with his family to the outer Sydney suburb of Liverpool, where his father was a Baptist preacher.

At the time, Liverpool was in the now former prime minister Gough Whitlam's electorate, and Mr Britza said he met him at his father's induction.

"My father introduced me and said 'this is young Ian and he's going to preach the gospel'.

"He [Gough] shook my hand and he said 'my boy, God knows we've got enough preachers, but we don't have enough principled politicians in parliament'," Mr Britza said.

Despite the advice Mr Britza went on to be a pastor for many years.

'I am unashamedly conservative'

Mr Britza said cutting his teeth on politics in WA had prepared him for the federal arena.

"Not only have I got things to offer, but I now realise I'm allowed to raise my voice," he said.

Ian Britza sitting in WA Parliament. ( ABC News )

"New England has been used by the Nats, as are all safe seats on either side of government."

"Safe seats are only taken by people who are party people who are interested in ministership or title and recognition," he said.

"They don't really upset the apple cart and really go for the issues from their electorate.

"That's what I want to give to New England. They are conservative. I am unashamedly conservative, and I can uphold conservative principles."