Multiculturalism Minister Ray Williams may be offered a spot in the NSW upper house in a bid to end Liberal Party infighting sparked by another minister's decision to run in his seat.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has taken charge of negotiations between factional powerbrokers after Treasurer Dominic Perrottet challenged Mr Williams for preselection in the electorate of Castle Hill, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Mr Williams has backed off a threat to launch a spill motion against Mr Perrottet's deputy leadership of the Liberals, but other discontented MPs could opt for a similar move when the party meets on Tuesday.
Labor leader Luke Foley says the issue had caused Ms Berejiklian to miss a sod-turning ceremony for the new Western Sydney Airport on Monday, and should have been resolved long ago.
"It's now got to an absurd situation where the premier stands up Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the soil turning for the most important jobs-generating project in Australia," he told reporters.
"She can't turn up because she's busy on the phones trying to negotiate with the factional warlords within the Liberal Party."
Australian Associated Press