"Such was the mood in Canberra of shock and disbelief, of concern for our democracy and solidarity with the prime minister who had given so much to our nation in such a short time," Ms Payne told Labor supporters at her campaign launch on Wednesday night.

While the date of the federal election is still yet to be known, the Labor candidate for the new seat of Canberra officially began her run this week, emphasising generations of commitment to the capital.

A former political adviser, researcher at NATSEM and public servant at Treasury, Ms Payne's pitch centred around being part of a progressive, caring city.

"We are a city with high average incomes and low unemployment. Which means it can be a particularly difficult place to be poor. Standing up for a strong social safety net is as important for the people of Canberra as it is around the country."

And in a move basically unheard of in most politicians and political hopefuls, Ms Payne had some compliments for Canberra.

"Canberra can get a bit of a bad rap from people from around the rest of the country. Somehow that it’s not a 'real' place, a bubble," she told party faithful.

Ms Payne also pushed her long-time Canberra connections, including her father's influence as a public servant. Both her parents moved to Canberra as young adults and met at Australian National University. The former chief of staff to Labor's Jenny Macklin used the speech to defend the bureaucracy.

"Canberra is home to our commonwealth public service, which also doesn’t always get the respect its deserves. ... There is a great pride and commitment in serving our nation’s government and through it, its people, and this is part of the character of our city."

While ACT seats are often regarded as safe for Labor, Ms Payne acknowledged she isn't walking into a guaranteed job as the seat is also targeted by the Greens.

"I don’t take anything for granted in this seat. This is about getting out and talking to as many Canberrans as possible."

While an electorate named Canberra isn't new in the ACT, after a significant redistribution the profile of the seat has changed the borders and the demographics, bringing in both the inner south and inner north of the capital.

The Greens have announced Tim Hollo as their candidate in the seat and the Liberals will be represented by Mina Zaki.