Northern Territory voters won't be forced back to the polls if the government loses a by-election this weekend.
Chief Minister Adam Giles says he won't let that happen.
Saturday's by-election in the seat of Blain will decide whether the Country Liberal Party government keeps its majority or has to look for support from an independent.
The alternative could be another general election, which is not due until 2016.
"We won't be going back to the polls," Mr Giles told Sky News on Thursday.
"Should things go sour we would obviously have a chat with (independent MLA) Gerry Wood."
Betting agencies have Labor and the CLP neck and neck in the seat being vacated by former chief minister Terry Mills.
The seat has never been held by Labor.
The knife-edge situation for the government was brought about by the resignations from the CLP of MLAs Alison Anderson, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier.
Ms Anderson said last week the group resigned because of the CLP's inability to improve the lives of remote Territorians.
Mr Giles suspended Ms Anderson from the CLP's parliamentary wing just before the resignation, after accusing her of holding a gun to the government's head.
She had demanded cabinet posts for the trio and a new department.
"There was a gun to the head approach from some of those three members in terms of demanding that Territorians provide special resources to them," Mr Giles said.
"This wasn't in the best interest of Territorians or their constituents."
The government came to power with 16 seats in the 25-seat assembly but has been down one seat since the end of February sittings when Mr Mills resigned.
Ms Anderson was also a thorn in the side of the former Labor government, resigning in 2009 before joining the CLP.
