NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has vowed to win the seat of Kiama on the state's south coast despite not having a candidate just two and a half months from the state election.
The seat is held by independent Gareth Ward, who was suspended from the parliament last May after he was charged with five counts of historical sexual abuse.
Mr Ward has strongly denied the allegations, which remain before the courts.
During a visit to Nowra on the boundary of Mr Ward's seat, the Premier said the Liberal Party was working through the pre-selection process.
"Ultimately these are matters for the party membership and the party executive and they are working through that and they will have the candidate soon," Mr Perrottet said.
"That's obviously a matter for the Liberal Party; my job as premier and the executive is to run the government and that's what I'm doing."
He rejected suggestions the Liberal Party was going to run dead in the seat effectively allowing Mr Ward to win it.
"The Liberal Party is going to win the seat of Kiama," the Premier said.
Mr Ward is yet to nominate for the seat, while Labor selected its candidate, union organiser Katelin McInerney, in August believing it could win back the seat it held from 1981 till 2011.
Labor says Premier should be 'upfront' over endorsement
Labor leader Chris Minns said the Premier needed to explain what his intentions were in relation to Mr Ward.
"They still haven't put a candidate in the field for the state seat of Kiama," Mr Minns said.
"He should be upfront with the people of Kiama and the people of NSW whether he tacitly endorses Gareth Ward for the next state election, whether he will preference Gareth Ward as he stands as an independent, or whether, in fact, he will run a Liberal candidate against Gareth Ward.
"Gareth can't even step inside the NSW Parliament. That suspension is in place and I think a government that is relying on his vote to form a majority government is an illegitimate one in the state."
Mr Ward remains a popular local candidate in the seat with a strong chance of retaining it if he nominates again.
He won the seat for the Liberals 2019 with 53.59 per cent of the primary vote and with a favourable 3.35 per cent swing on his previous result.
Voters in NSW will go to the polls on March 25, 2023.
