Barnaby Joyce says "dopey" campaigning organisation GetUp has wasted its resources campaigning against the Nationals, who are polling well.
The New England MP also praised leader Michael McCormack for the strong Nationals result, despite leadership tension between the two.
"I'd like to commend Michael McCormack and the work he's done, I'd like to commend Matty Canavan and the work he's done in Queensland, Pat Conaghan down in Cowper," Mr Joyce told Sky News on Saturday night.
"The resources GetUp put into there, sucked in fellas.
"Went for the sucker trap again didn't you? Put all your resources into a seat you weren't going to win, so you burned up all your resources in other seats you could have.
"Thank you very much GetUp for being completely and utterly dopey."
When asked about leadership tension with Mr McCormack, the former Nationals leader played it down.
"I'm not going to get sucked into that one, honestly," Mr Joyce said.
The former deputy prime minister paid tribute to the man he served under, former prime minister Tony Abbott, who lost his seat of Warringah in NSW.
"I'm sorry about Tony Abbott, really good fellow, it's a great loss to our parliament," he said.
Mr Joyce said Labor leader Bill Shorten had lost the working class vote.
"The Labor Party have left Barcaldine behind, left the tree of knowledge behind, wandered down, got themselves a kaftan and incense sticks - get back to your blue-collar workers," he told ABC TV.
Australian Associated Press
