The woman likely to become the ACT Legislative Assembly's newest member next year is anything but a novice when it comes to territory politics and hard fought election campaigns.
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A spokesman for incoming Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed that chief-of-staff Meegan Fitzharris will nominate for the casual vacancy created in Molonglo by Katy Gallagher's resignation as she prepares to move to the Senate.
The former Attorney-General's Department public servant and mother-of-three is a Gungahlin resident and won 2626 primary votes on the Labor ticket at the 2012 ACT election, out polling Attorney-General Simon Corbell by about 700 votes.
Mr Barr and Mr Corbell will be confirmed in their new roles during a special caucus meeting on Wednesday morning.
The results of the party room vote, now all but a formality, will be announced by caucus secretary and backbencher Yvette Berry. Ms Gallagher will take part in the vote after resigning as Labor leader.
After the results, Mr Barr and Mr Corbell will front up to the media at a nearby primary school as part of the new government leadership team's formal roll out to the community.
The full Legislative Assembly will gather to formally vote in Mr Barr as Chief Minister on Thursday.
Considered a strong campaigner and effective manager of staff, Ms Fitzharris was born in New Zealand in 1972.
She moved to Canberra in 2000 and has served as a policy adviser, state and Commonwealth public servant, consultant and stay-at-home mum.
Ms Fitzharris holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Masters in International Development after studying at New Zealand's University of Otago and University of Auckland.
Mr Barr has so far not outlined his plans for including Ms Fitzharris in a reshuffled ministry. Speculation remains that she could beat backbenchers, including Ms Berry, to take over portfolios in a wider reshuffle in 2015, including those left by Ms Gallagher such as health, regional development or higher education.
Labor believes Ms Fitzharris, aligned with the party's Right faction, will win the planned recount easily. Her 2012 campaign included a support for a new cinema in Gungahlin and was in part inspired by the full-time political career of Ms Gallagher.
"I have juggled my career, in a range of consulting and training roles, with raising three energetic children," Ms Fitzharris told The Canberra Times in 2011.
Describing herself as "ALP through-and-through", she has previously spoken about the importance of adequate paid-parental leave in Australia. Well regarded by staff members, she will be required to quickly adapt to the new role which is likely to include dealing with the media on policy and political issues.
She is expected to continue as Mr Barr's chief-of-staff until the count back process is completed, and will be formally voted into the Assembly in 2015.
Ms Fitzharris' husband, Pierre Huetter, is development manager for Canberra firm Dowse Projects, a former director of lobbyist outfit Hawker Britton and former consultant with Aleseva Consulting.
Mr Huetter has also previously worked in the ACT government and Commonwealth Parliament and has strong Labor links, including time as a director of the ACT Labor Clubs Group.
