The acting NSW premier has called on disgraced ex-government MP Daryl Maguire to quit parliament immediately.
Nationals leader and acting premier John Barilaro on Wednesday said Mr Maguire must resign after the member for Wagga Wagga was dragged into a corruption scandal.
"The people of Wagga Wagga have made it clear they would like to see Daryl resign so therefore it's clear that Daryl Maguire should resign as a member of parliament," Mr Barilaro told reporters.
Mr Barilaro wouldn't rule out the Nationals running a candidate in the Liberal seat in a potential by-election but insisted he'd not yet spoken to anyone about pre-selection.
He said if the Nationals were to contest the seat the party would need the Liberals to agree under the terms of the coalition agreement.
"The rules say we get to negotiate the position of the coalition about who would be best placed to run a candidate," Mr Barilaro said.
"That will be for consideration of head office, the executive - we'll make those decisions if and when they arise."
The acting premier has spoken to Mr Maguire over the past few days but wouldn't reveal what they discussed.
Labor earlier on Wednesday threatened to expel Mr Maguire if he didn't quit within the next three weeks.
Acting opposition leader Michael Daley said the ALP would move a rarely-used motion when parliament returns from the winter break on August 7 to try and force the former Liberal junior minister out.
"Daryl Maguire is unfit to sit, and if he won't go, unfortunately, we'll have to take steps to remove him," he told reporters in Sydney.
The standing order - which allows the lower house to expel an MP "guilty of conduct unworthy of a member of parliament" - has only been used six times in parliament's history. It hasn't been successful since 1917.
Mr Maguire on Friday quit the Liberal party and his role as parliamentary secretary after a corruption inquiry heard secret recordings of him discussing potential commissions with a local councillor from property deals with a wealthy Chinese developer.
But despite mounting pressure, he's so far refused to quit as an MP, instead announcing he won't recontest the next state election in March 2019.
He uploaded a video to his Facebook on Monday declaring his intention to remain in parliament but deleted his entire account a few hours later.
Australian Associated Press
