CLARE O'NEIL

* Has held the south-east Melbourne seat of Hotham since 2013.

* Is Labor's spokeswoman for financial services and justice.

* Holds the record for being Australia's youngest female mayor after earning the role in the City of Greater Dandenong at 23-years-old.

* Studied arts and law at university before completing a masters at Harvard and becoming a Fullbright Scholar.

* Is from the party's right and has been an advocate for victims of banking industry misconduct.

RICHARD MARLES

* Has held the Geelong based seat of Corio since 2007.

* Was trade minister in 2013 and is now Labor's spokesman for defence.

* Studied law and science at university before working as a lawyer.

* He took his legal skills to the Transport Workers' Union of Australia, rising to federal assistant secretary prior to becoming assistant secretary at the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

* Is from Labor's right faction.

* Co-hosted a show on Sky with former defence minister Christopher Pyne for about three years.

Australian Associated Press