NSW MP Jillian Skinner has promised to hand in her resignation "very soon" despite failing to show up to state parliament for the second day in a row.
A by-election for Ms Skinner's seat of North Shore can't be called until the veteran MP formally hands her resignation letter to the Speaker of the lower house.
"I've got a few things to tidy up before I put my resignation in," Ms Skinner told the Seven Network on Wednesday.
"It'll be very soon."
The former health minister announced she would quit politics two weeks ago after being told she would be dumped from the cabinet in new Premier Gladys Berejiklian's reshuffle.
While some are labelling her no-show at parliament a deliberate snub against the premier, Ms Berejiklian is confident Ms Skinner will "resign in due course".
"It's a matter for her," the premier told 2GB radio.
"She's a very honourable woman and I'm sure she'll do it at the right time."
The former minister will continue to accrue pay and entitlements as a member of parliament until she resigns, Opposition Leader Luke Foley says.
"It's unacceptable that government MPs have such contempt for the voters who put them here (and) that they can just go on strike knowing that the taxpayer is footing the bill for their parliamentarian pay package," he told reporters in Sydney.
The Labor leader has urged the premier to force Ms Skinner's hand.
"The premier lacks authority here but she needs to step up," he said.
The no-show comes as the coalition government faces internal divisions over council amalgamations after Ms Berejiklian decided to halt planned regional mergers but allow those in Sydney to proceed.
This means the contentious forced amalgamation of the North Sydney, Mosman and Willoughby councils will go ahead, which could hamper the Liberal Party's re-election prospects in the upcoming North Shore by-election.
Ms Skinner has held the northern Sydney seat since 1994 and endured several scandals in her role as health minister - including the chemotherapy underdosing crisis and gassing death of a baby at a western Sydney hospital.
She was replaced by fellow long-time MP Brad Hazzard in the reshuffle.
Two other by-elections are due to be held in the seats of Manly and Gosford, vacated by former premier Mike Baird and cancer-stricken Labor MP Kathy Smith, respectively.
Both Mr Baird and Mrs Smith handed in their resignations to parliament on Tuesday, Speaker Shelley Hancock's office has confirmed.
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