Mr Brown’s refutation comes as Glenn Kolomeitz, who unsuccessfully contested the seat for Labor at the 2015 election, also ruled himself out of the contest.

The Labor Party has already finalised many of its preselections ahead of the 2019 state election – which is now less than a year away – but its Kiama contender has not yet been determined.

Mr Kolomeitz said he wouldn’t run for the seat, despite NSW Labor leader Luke Foley and the party’s national executive being ready to endorse him as the candidate for Kiama. 

The former soldier and NSW RSL chief executive, who is now a veterans’ affairs advocate, said he wanted to put his family and veterans’ issues first. 

“I can’t do that while running a very, very hard, full-time, 12-month campaign,” he said.

Mr Kolomeitz said he had “never shied away from a fight”, citing his work to lift the lid on the RSL’s financial scandals.

Senior Labor figures have said Mr Brown, the Kiama MP from 1999 to 2011, had been seeking preselection support for his former seat. 

However, Mr Brown told ABC Illawarra he had “no plans for going back into significant public life”. 

“I enjoy my community work, I enjoy my family time, I enjoy the businesses I am involved with and that keeps me more than occupied," he said.

Mr Brown’s ministerial career ended abruptly in September 2008, just three days after Nathan Rees took over as premier. 

He was promoted to police minister in Mr Rees’ new cabinet but was forced to resign almost immediately after details emerged of a wild budget night party three months earlier.

Mr Brown was alleged to have danced in his underwear and simulated a sex act with the former Wollongong MP Noreen Hay at a party in his Parliament House office. 

He later admitted to having his shirt off but denied being drunk or simulating the act with Ms Hay.

Mr Brown lost his seat in 2011, but returned to politics in 2016 when he was elected on the Labor ticket to Kiama Council. 

Fairfax Media made a number of attempts to contact Mr Brown for comment.