Under a wish list drawn up by factional bosses, the member for Werriwa, Chris Hayes, would move to Macarthur, the Liberal-held seat which has been rendered notionally Labor by a redistribution of NSW seats. Mr Hayes is reluctant to move.

"I am the democratically elected MP of Werriwa and with the support of my electorate I will remain in that role," upset Mr Hayes said today.

The former Labor candidate for Macarthur Nick Bleasdale, who was presented to voters at a recent community cabinet meeting in the electorate, would be cut adrift.

The Mayor of Liverpool, Wendy Waller, has been pencilled in for Werriwa, but the soft Left will drop her for Mr Ferguson if his bid for Fowler fails.

Fowler has been claimed by the Right, which wants to install the union official Ed Husic.

Mr Ferguson's safe seat of Reid has been abolished. The hard Left believes he should retire but the soft Left is helping him find another seat. Last week, the Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, said she would help save him, putting her on a collision course with Anthony Albanese of the hard Left.

Yesterday, Mr Ferguson's brother, the cabinet minister Martin Ferguson, called for his older brother, a parliamentary secretary, to be looked after.

''I simply adopt the view in terms of politics; the responsibility of the party is to resolve these matters by goodwill,'' he said.

''There is a requirement to try and find seats for everyone affected by a redistribution and that is the responsibility of the NSW branch. But it's not for me as his brother to get involved in such discussions.''

NSW Labor sources said the carve-up of seats before final decisions later this year risked a backlash from the rank-and-file which was being left out of deliberations and would not get to vote on preselections.

Fowler will be vacated by the retirement of Julia Irwin. The Liberal-held Greenway, which has become a Labor seat following the redistribution, has been earmarked for Michelle Rowland of the Right.

In Throsby, south of Sydney, Jennie George will retire, making way for the the union official Stephen Jones of the Left.

In the Blue Mountains seat of Macquarie, to be vacated by Bob Debus, the soft Left wants Adam Searle but the hard Left insists on Susan Templeman.