NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has credited a long-time mentor's gracious offer with ending the bitter pre-selection battle he instigated with a frontbench colleague.
Mr Perrottet withdrew his pre-selection nomination for colleague Ray Williams' safe seat of Castle Hill after Epping MP Damien Tudehope offered the treasurer his seat.
Far from a consolation prize, it enables the deputy Liberal leader to run for the electorate he lives in.
Mr Williams had refused to budge after Mr Perrottet went public with his desire to run for Castle Hill so he could balance his senior government role with spending time in his electorate of Hawkesbury and living with his young family of seven in Epping.
"Damien Tudehope graciously offered to not recontest the seat of Epping," Mr Perrottet told AAP on Tuesday.
"Damien has been a mentor for me for many years and I have huge respect for him.
"But importantly I'm focused on continuing to be a great local member and delivering for the people of NSW as treasurer."
The treasurer said he had intended to move to Hawkesbury after being elected for that seat in 2015 but didn't.
"I now have young children and like every family, we struggle with the issues of work and family balance and they were issues that I went through," he said.
Mr Perrottet endured heckling from the opposition and the public gallery during question time before telling parliament it hadn't been a great few days for the government.
"You're a joke, Dom," yelled one protester as security removed her from the chamber.
"We don't want you in Hawkesbury. Go, go, go," another said.
Mr Perrottet said he and the government were "completely committed" to improving every single electorate and said they would all be better off under a coalition government.
"There is no doubt it hasn't been a great few days for the government," the treasurer told parliament.
"But that does not compare to the 16 years of Labor government, which was an absolute disaster for the people of NSW."
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