The NSW Liberal Party is scrambling to fill a suddenly vacant spot on their upper house election ticket, weeks out from the state ballot.
Prospective candidates are jostling for the position on the party's upper house ticket, after MP Peter Poulos was expelled from the party over an explicit photo scandal on the weekend.
Outgoing Transport Minister David Elliott told 2GB radio he had asked Premier Dominic Perrottet to be considered for the No.2 spot on the ticket - which would secure him another eight years in parliament.
Mr Elliott, from the party's centre-right, announced his retirement last year after failing to secure sufficient support to keep his seat after a redistribution.
However, with less than five weeks until voters go to the polls, the premier is under pressure to get more Liberal women into parliament.
When asked about Mr Elliott's chances, Mr Perrottet failed to endorse him for the upper house spot.
"That's a matter for the organisation," the premier told reporters.
Treasurer and moderate powerbroker Matt Kean is pushing for a woman to pick up the spot, with his faction endorsing the party's Women's Council president Jacqui Munro on Monday afternoon, according to The Daily Telegraph.
"I think it's a great opportunity for a strong female candidate," Mr Kean told reporters.
As the state edges towards the March 25 election, Labor leader Chris Minns says the government is "focused on themselves" and mudslinging.
"I think for many voters, they'd see that as a preview of the next four years if the coalition is re-elected," he told reporters.
It comes as Mr Perrottet's brother, Charles Perrottet, wrote a defiant letter to a NSW upper house committee, dismissing a request to give evidence.
"I will not be participating in your Labor/Greens circus. I decline your invitation," Charles wrote to the inquiry, according to the The Daily Telegraph.
The inquiry was launched after Liberal MP Ray Williams used parliamentary privilege to claim several senior party members were paid to stack the Hills Shire council, with members who would be friendly to Sydney developer Jean Nassiff.
Charles has been invited to attend the committee, but cannot be summonsed as he not a resident of NSW.
"There's been serious allegations by a Liberal member of parliament," committee member and Labor MP Penny Sharpe told AAP.
"I urge him (Charles) to change his mind and to co-operate with the inquiry."
The premier was also asked about a complaint regarding Camden MP Peter Sidgreaves over allegations of bullying and branch stacking in his office.
"We received that complaint (and there's) two aspects of that," Mr Perrottet said.
"There is absolutely no place for bullying in any workplace environment and they (allegations) need to be dealt with appropriately, independently and in the best case scenario, confidentially."
The complaint would be handled by the parliament's independent complaints officer, appointed after former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick's inquiry into bullying, harassment and sexual misconduct in NSW parliament offices, he said.
Meanwhile, the government announced on Monday it would offer incentives of up to $4000 to public school teachers, in a bid to encourage more to gain national Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the accreditation would recognise highly effective, innovative and exemplary teaching and enable teachers to achieve salaries up to $120,000.
However, Labor's education spokeswoman Prue Car says it's "too little too late from a tired, 12-year-old government that is out of ideas and throwing money out the door five minutes before an election".
AAP has contacted the NSW Liberal Party, and the offices of Mr Kean and Mr Elliott for comment.
