Federal MP Ian Macfarlane has been blocked from moving from the Liberals to the Nationals partyroom.

Key points: Ian Macfarlane's move to Nationals voted down by LNP executive

Ian Macfarlane's move to Nationals voted down by LNP executive Macfarlane to consider his options and make announcement in New Year

Macfarlane to consider his options and make announcement in New Year Barnaby Joyce disappointed by decision, Labor MPs mock outcome

The Liberal National Party State Executive decided against the move on Monday, after it was approved with a vote of 102-34 by local party members on Saturday.

In a statement, LNP president Gary Spence said the decision to vote down the move was made after "taking into consideration the best interests" of the party.

"While LNP members of the Groom electorate voted to support Mr Macfarlane's decision, the interests of our party beyond his electorate were taken into account," Mr Spence said.

"In rejecting Ian's request to move to the Nationals' partyroom, the LNP acknowledges his enormous contribution to our party and importantly to the people of Groom and Australia."

Addressing media after the meeting, Mr Spence cited concerns over maintaining the stability of the federal Coalition, adding that the partnership had "never been stronger".

He said that Mr Macfarlane had been a "tremendous servant" and hoped that he remained in Parliament.

The decision has quashed the Nationals' hopes to gain an extra Cabinet seat, but Mr Spence said he was hopeful that any future reshuffle would go "some way towards correcting that imbalance".

Mr Macfarlane said he was disappointed, and would take time to consider his options.

Sorry, this video has expired 'I will now speak with my family and consider the options': Macfarlane

He said he was not ready to retire.

"Obviously I felt I had more to offer regional Queensland and regional Australia, that has not been the view of the LNP and I accept that," he said.

"I'll make an announcement in the New Year."

Mr Macfarlane denied his bid to join the Nationals was a miscalculation.

"I felt that this was the only way I'd be able to continue to be an effective voice in my electorate," he said.

Joyce denies decision shows fractures in Coalition

Deputy Nationals Leader Barnaby Joyce told the ABC he was disappointed with the decision by the LNP executive.

"I think that it's very important that what I was hoping for was a mechanism to get better representation to regional areas and to regional Queensland," he said.

"Obviously I believe the people of Groom made a very strong decision the other day about their wishes."

Mr Joyce rejected any suggestion that the attempted defection had showed fractures in the relationship between the Nationals and Malcolm Turnbull.

"As I said from the start, we never touted for business," he said.

"Mr Macfarlane made it clear he wanted to come across to the National Party. I don't think it has created headlines. From what I've been reading the last couple of days it's been about Paris."

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Mr Macfarlane reportedly started considering his options to switch partyrooms after his demotion from the frontbench in September.

A number of Labor MPs have mocked the decision, with Andrew Giles tweeting that it "seemed like a good idea at the time".

Opposition agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon has labelled the situation as "chaos", while Brendan O'Connor labelled Mr Macfarlane "a man without a party".

Attorney-General and fellow Queensland politician George Brandis had previously cast doubt over Mr Macfarlane's move.

"No backbencher can force a Cabinet reshuffle on a prime minister by swapping parties in order to game the system," he said.

"I don't believe that Mr Macfarlane should have done what he did."