Tasmania's premier has delayed the return of state parliament by a week to avoid a lower house minority created after a veteran MP quit over sex abuse claims.
Rene Hidding, the state's former police minister, resigned on Monday and has vehemently denied the accusations.
Two officers from Tasmania Police have travelled to Queensland to take a statement from a woman, who has in the media accused Mr Hidding of sexually assaulting her as a teenager.
A re-count to determine Mr Hidding's replacement in the seat of Lyons won't be held until at least March 12, the day parliament was due to resume.
On Tuesday, Premier Will Hodgman said parliament's resumption would be pushed back until March 19.
"This will allow ... the make-up of parliament to reflect the results of last year's election," he said in a statement.
The move, agreed to by the governor, avoids an awkward minority situation in the lower house for the Liberal government, who would have been left with 11 members to Labor and the Greens' combined 12.
Labor opposition leader Rebecca White has accused Mr Hodgman of hiding from questions and leading a chaotic government.
"Will Hodgman is now running away from governing and scrutiny by delaying the return to parliament," she tweeted on Tuesday night.
Liberal John Tucker is considered the favourite to win the Lyons re-count.
Mr Hidding has labelled the allegations, first raised by the unnamed woman in a Weekend Australian article, as "false and malicious" and made in the context of a long-term bitter dispute.
The woman claims she contacted police with a complaint several years ago, something Tasmania Police is investigating.
Mr Hidding, 66, is the second Liberal backbencher to quit parliament this month after former mining minister Adam Brooks, who was the subject of an inquiry that ultimately cleared him of wrongdoing over conflicts of interest but found he misled the premier.
Mr Hidding, police minister from 2014 to 2018, was set to retire at the end of this term.
