Brodtmann says Canberrans worry about cuts to primary and preventative health services and, as the most highly-educated population in the country, felt "very strongly" about "needs-based" education funding targeting the disadvantaged. "They've been very supportive in terms of what we're doing to fund years five and six of the Gonski reforms."

Brodtmann has heard from voters concerned about their slow or non-extent internet connections every day and has campaigned for the ACT to be prioritised in the NBN rollout for 18 months. "It's outrageous that here we are in the nation's capital and suburbs 25 kilometres from Parliament House are invisible, they're not even on the rollout map. People are constantly complaining to me about the NBN and the fact it is an impediment to their lives."

With some of the slowest internet speeds in the country, she says Canberrans are missing out on educational opportunities. She knows of small businesses that have been forced to lease space rather than work from home.

Public service cuts are again a big election issue in 2016, and Canberrans are concerned about the impacts of the most recent federal budget, which was estimated to result in about 1400 fewer ACT-based public service jobs.

"Liberal governments have got form with Canberra. We saw it in 1996 when they got rid of 15,000 public servants here, this term they've got rid of 8500 and that was before the announcements from this year's budget. They've got contempt for public servants and the public service and for Canberra as the nation's capital."

The difficulty of attracting support for the public service in Canberra from her Labor colleagues is something Brodtmann admits "came up a lot". But she's always in her "colleagues' ears" talking up the value of Canberra's public servants and "the importance of Canberra as our nation's capital and home to our national institutions".

She says she has campaigned strongly against cuts to the cultural institutions, including the impact on the National Library's Trove archive, a service used by all people all over the country. "You wonder if the efficiency dividend has reached the end of its useful life. We're not cutting into fat anymore, we're not cutting into bone, were actually cutting into vital organs."

While Labor hasn't committed to reversing the cuts, Brodtmann is in discussions with her colleagues. She hopes the recent redistribution may result in a swing to Labor, but says she always treats Canberra as a marginal seat, working hard as a local member.

She will get a "better feel" of her chances of winning closer to the election, but doesn't expect a repeat of 2013, when disenchanted voters were attracted to minority parties.

"The whole tone and discourse has completely changed. There's more civility now and Canberrans are looking at policies ... they want to see parties that have agendas and a vision for the future and costed and funded policies."