Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has rejected accusations of cowardice over the Liberal Party's decision not to run a candidate in the Niddrie by-election sparked by the resignation of former attorney general Rob Hulls.
Mr Hulls held the inner northwest Melbourne seat by 6.9 per cent at the November 2010 election.
Deputy opposition leader James Merlino says the seat was winnable for the government, which only has a one seat majority, but the coalition was too gutless to run.
Mr Baillieu said the government was focused on boosting productivity and managing the economy rather than the by-election.
"This by-election is all so predictable - this is the fourth time in five years that Labor have pulled on a by-election," he told reporters on Wednesday.
"It's a seat we've never held and that's the bottom line and we recognise that.
"Our focus is going to be on the interests of Victorians in very challenging times and I'm not going to be distracted from it."
Mr Baillieu said the decision not to run was widely supported across the party, but Mr Merlino said the premier was running from a fight.
"Ted Baillieu has decided he is not up to the fight and is telling the people of Niddrie that `we don't give a stuff about you'.
"They are too gutless to front up."
The Labor Party will announce its candidate at the end of the month, with Labor staffers Ben Carroll and Jaclyn Symes and City of Moonee Valley councillor John Sipek among possible contenders.
The by-election will be held on March 24.
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