There were no other nominations to be the faction's pick for the seat so no vote was required. The Left faction of the party has only run preselection processes for the new seat and for the upper house, where former senator Katy Gallagher was endorsed.

It is appearing increasingly unlikely that anyone will challenge either sitting lower house MP in a preselection race, with Andrew Leigh already signalling his intention to run again in Fenner and Gai Brodtmann to run in Bean.

Candidates seeking preselection from the party's Right faction had the chance on Thursday night to address party members and seek their endorsement. Greyhound lobbyist Kel Watt and political staffer Jacob Ingram are still the only members of the Right to put their hands up to run in Canberra, while Senator David Smith is seeking endorsement to continue to represent the party in that position.

The voting process for the Right's candidates will end on August 2, when it's expected nominations for the party's preselection will officially open. The party's administration committee met on Thursday night to make the final decision on the timetable.

It's believed the party's preselection process will open for nominations for a week, with voting to take place late in August and endorsed candidates to be announced in early September. There had been suggestions the preselection process could take place in two stages, with the Senate race decided before the lower house seats were voted on, giving either Ms Gallagher or Mr Smith the chance to run for the seat of Canberra if they were unsuccessful in their bid for the top of the Senate ticket, but this is now all but ruled out.

One proposal put by some in the Left would see the seats neatly carved up between Ms Gallagher in the Senate and Mr Falzon, Mr Leigh and Ms Brodtmann in the lower house without the need for a bruising preselection battle. That proposal would have left Senator Smith thrown out of the Senate with nowhere to go - and he is determined to fight hard to keep his seat.