Labor is set to have all of its candidates in place before next week's budget, as the major parties scramble to prepare for the federal election.
Former consulting boss Simon Kennedy has been chosen by the Liberals to contest the northwest Sydney seat of Bennelong and will go up against local councillor Jerome Laxale who is running for Labor.
Mr Kennedy now sits on the Committee for Sydney as a non-executive member after leaving McKinsey in late 2021 to "pursue interests in government", according to his LinkedIn page.
The NSW division of the Liberal party was given a deadline of March 25 to select candidates in key seats, after the federal executive intervened to re-endorse three sitting Liberal MPs who faced local challenges.
Mr Kennedy will take the mantle from former professional tennis player turned MP John Alexander who has announced his retirement from politics ahead of the federal election, due to be held in May.
An candidate for a seat which isn't Parramatta would be made over the weekend, Mr Albanese said with both major parties yet to select nominees for the marginal seat as incumbent Labor MP Julie Owens prepares to retire.
"We will make sure that by the time we get to the budget (on March 29), we have candidates in all of the seats going forward," he said on Thursday.
Mr Albanese also said he wants a consensus candidate chosen for the seat amid suggestions former advisor to Kevin Rudd, Andrew Charlton, could be parachuted into the seat despite living in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Mr Albanese said he would wait to see who nominates for the seat but that a decision would be made next week.
The NSW Liberals' Senate ticket will go to a vote on Saturday and Labor's Victorian ticket has been opened for nominations, with a vote to occur in Canberra on Tuesday afternoon if an election is required.
Labor has not won three seats at a half-Senate election in Victoria since 2007 and is likely to pick up two seats at the election.
Victorian government minister Natalie Hutchins and human rights barrister Fiona McLeod have been flagged as possible replacements for the late Senator Kimberley Kitching, who was up for re-election.
Veteran senator Kim Carr is also up for re-election but faces a challenge, with union leader Linda White tipped to take his place.
