The one thing to know about me, says Barnaby Joyce, "I won't be pushed around"."And if you're gonna push me around," he tells Australian Story, "I'll fight back."The former leader of the federal Nationals is talking about his final stages with the party, a rancorous period during which his one-time media adviser, now wife, Vikki Campion, says he was "treated so badly".That's true, Joyce says, but admits, "I rose to the challenge, too"."I responded likewise," he says, of the febrile months after he was deposed as leader by David Littleproud and demoted to the backbench."That's my nature "I don't want to hurt people … but I'm not going to be pushed around."The fusion of Joyce and Hanson — two big personalities with a history of internal party rifts — into one party has many pundits expecting fireworks.Patricia Karvelas, the host of the ABC's Afternoon Briefing, says while it would be of mutual benefit for the duo to stay unified, "if you ask anyone across the political divide, the view is that they will have a fallout"."It's about when, not if," she says.Joyce has just dismounted his horse after helping drive cattle to the site of a campdraft event in his NSW electorate of New England but he won't be competing.His reason? "I'd embarrass myself."There's a slight pause before a stockman says with dry country wit, "You've done it before."Barnaby nods as everyone chuckles."I've certainly done that," he says