The NSW Liberal Party’s decision to call for federal pre-selections before the AEC redistribution is finalised early next year forced Mr Schultz to announce his nomination for pre-selection in Hume.

Mr Schultz has previously refused to confirm if he would stand for a fifth term, but said this week he had sent the pre-selection nomination paperwork off to Liberal Party headquarters.

Mr Schultz, who could lose the Southern Highlands to the seat of Throsby in the proposed redistribution, may have a tough fight on his hands.

He suffered a nine per cent swing to Labor at the last election.

Mr Schultz said he wasn’t aware of any Liberal challengers for pre-selection and it would not worry him if he wasn’t the only Liberal nominee for Hume.

“I welcome it, I encourage people to nominate,”Mr Schultz said.

“I have still got a hell of a lot to contribute.”

The 69-year-old veteran of both state and federal parliaments dismissed calls for older Liberal MPs to retire to make way for new blood.

“My record speaks for itself and I can out-run and out-compete my younger opponents. Few of them could keep up with my schedule.”

An endorsement by Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull during his visit to Moss Vale on Friday would buoy Mr Schultz.

“Alby is a fantastic member and I assume he is running again,” Mr Turnbull said.

“He is energetic and combines energy and experience in great measure. He is certainly a very valued member of the team.”

Mr Schultz is going though his fifth state or federal redistribution and was circumspect about the outcome.

“I would love to see the Highlands stay in Hume,” he said.

“One of the worst parts of redistribution is that politicians lose areas they work hard in and work hard to get a presence in the community.

“Unfortunately we have no say in the redistribution process.

“We can object to the program put out, but history has shown those objections don’t amount to a great deal.”

Two main issues Mr Schultz would campaign on would be the effect an Emissions Trading Scheme would have on regional Australia and attacking the Government over its spending record.

“If we are going to re-elect the Rudd Government there will be increased problems for future generations who are coming into a election where the Rudd Government is borrowing in excess of $315 million,” he said.

“The legacy will be three decades to pay it off and the only way to do that is to tax people.”