Canberra Liberals leader Alistair Coe says the party will look to filling retiring MLA Steve Doszpot's seat in the ACT Legislative Assembly in "coming weeks", as the parliament paid tribute to the terminally ill politician on Tuesday.
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Mr Doszpot will step down as a member for Kurrajong on December 5 after nine years in the ACT's parliament.
He was diagnosed with liver cancer last year and plans to spend his remaining time with family and friends.
His retirement will spark a countback of the 2016 territory election.
Acting electoral commissioner Ro Spence said a new parliamentarian could be chosen before Christmas.
"Assuming that the speaker advises the commissioner of a casual vacancy on December 5, the commission's first step will be to organise a notice to be placed in the Canberra Times," Mr Spence said.
"We will also place the notice on our website and write to all unsuccessful candidates from the 2016 election in Kurrajong. "
Interested unsuccessful candidates will have 10 days to apply to contest the vacancy. The application period will close at midday on the 10th day.
"The commissioner will then declare the candidates to contest the vacancy at approximately 12.30 on that same day and the countback will take place shortly after," Mr Spence said.
"We will know the successful candidate at that moment but will wait a number of days to officially declare the candidate duly elected."
Former public service staffer Candice Burch is Mr Dozpot's likely replacement.
Ms Burch has been on a working holiday in the United States and Canada for several months but is returning home within weeks, Canberra Liberals president Arthur Potter said.
Mr Potter described Ms Burch as an "incredibly hard worker" and a "very intelligent, good person" with "solid Liberal values".
He said it could be the first time in history a Liberal party had a female majority in parliament.
Canberra Liberals leader Alistair Coe was vague when asked if Ms Burch had been approached about taking up Mr Doszpot's seat.
"The party is always in contact with past candidates and future candidates and with the broader membership," Mr Coe said.
"We have three very capable members that also stood in that electorate who were not successful on election night, Candice Burch, Brooke Curtin or Peter Mackay, I'm sure each of those people will do a wonderful job representing the Liberal party and representing Kurrajong in the Assembly."
Asked if all three would nominate, Mr Coe said: "At this stage we're not going into any nitty gritty. Today is about honouring Steve Doszpot and his family and appropriately recognising the many successes and wonderful achievements he has had over the last nine years in the Assembly."
True to form, Mr Doszpot's final speech was a call to get more funding and recognition for liver cancer research.
He said current tests were "crude" and too few people were aware of the importance of early screening, particularly in at-risk individuals.
Mr Doszpot said he would keep up his advocacy as long as his cancer would let him.
"It's not for myself I'm asking, my cancer is inoperable. But in the course of my journey so far I've become very much aware of how earlier diagnosis of liver cancer would help to save many lives," Mr Doszpot said.
He only wavered when thanking his wife of 46 years, Maureen and his children, Amy and Adam.
Mr Doszpot's Legislative Assembly colleagues paid homage to Mr Doszpot's commitment to the people of Canberra.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr thanked Mr Doszpot for keeping him accountable "every day, formally and informally, in car parks, on weekends, when you least expect it".
Mr Coe said it was telling that Mr Doszpot chose to thank people in his valedictory speech rather than speak about his "own goals".
"Life in Opposition is tough but he's taken up the fight and had many victories," Mr Coe said.
