At least two candidates look set to contest the Liberal preselection for the federal NSW seat of Eden-Monaro after feuding state frontbenchers John Barilaro and Andrew Constance ruled themselves out of the race.
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Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday refused to castigate her deputy and her transport minister who engaged in an ugly war of words before ultimately deciding to stay in their current roles.
The Liberal candidate for Eden-Monaro at the 2019 general election, Fiona Kotvojs, told AAP on Wednesday night she had nominated ahead of Friday's preselection deadline.
She's now the frontrunner after narrowly losing to Labor's Mike Kelly who vacated the seat last week due to ill health.
Former Navy seaman Jerry Nockles told AAP he was also considering contesting the Liberal preselection.
Mr Constance announced on Tuesday he wanted to make the move to Canberra before withdrawing from the Eden-Monaro race 24 hours later.
He said he changed his mind after Sydney's Daily Telegraph reported Mr Barilaro - the deputy premier and NSW Nationals leader - had used a crude word to describe him to colleagues.
The Bega MP said he didn't sign up to be "called that type of smear" and the spat was "disappointing" and "humiliating".
Mr Barilaro announced on Monday he wouldn't be running for the Nationals.
A text message he sent to federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack was subsequently leaked to Sky News.
"You have failed your team and failed as a leader," Mr Barilaro wrote to the deputy prime minister when accusing Mr McCormack of not supporting his tilt.
Notwithstanding the preselection circus, Ms Berejiklian repeatedly refused to admonish her ministers when questioned on the matter.
"All I will outline ... is my expectation of every member of the team to keep their head down and work hard," the Liberal leader told reporters on Thursday.
The premier said her colleagues would continue to have her confidence if they kept working hard.
Nationals federal president Larry Anthony on Thursday admitted the spat was unbecoming.
"Hopefully in a week's time this will be all behind us and a decent candidate will be there to wave the flag for the government," Mr Anthony told ABC Radio.
"A lot of these private conversations that have been leaked out is unfortunate. It shouldn't happen but it has and we move on."
The federal president defended Mr Barilaro saying he would have made a "fine candidate and a fine member of parliament" in Canberra.
"He's been a very effective leader in NSW," Mr Anthony said.
Mr Barilaro faced further trouble on Thursday after revealing earlier in the week he'd travelled from his main residence in Queanbeyan to his Nerriga farm.
Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said police would inquire whether the deputy premier had defied coronavirus directions to avoid non-essential travel.
But NSW Police subsequently said Mr Barilaro spent the weekend at the farm with his family and "conducted various maintenance tasks".
"Investigators deemed neither the travel, nor the stay, breached the current ministerial directions," a spokesperson said in a statement.
Liberal senator Jim Molan on Wednesday revealed he wasn't interested in a potential move to the lower house in Eden-Monaro and wouldn't nominate for preselection. Nominations close on Friday morning.
Bega mayor Kristy McBain is Labor's candidate for the upcoming by-election.
Federal Opposition leader Anthony Albanese on Thursday said Labor offered a "clear alternative" to the coalition.
"People will have a look at the comments that have been made by ... potential candidates on the other side about their own political leaders," Mr Albanese told reporters in Merimbula on the South Coast.
Australian Associated Press
