Former New South Wales MP, Deborah O’Neill has confirmed she will nominate to replace Bob Carr in the Senate.

After weeks of speculation, Senator Carr has quit the Senate after only 18 months.

He took Mark Arbib’s seat and replaced Kevin Rudd as Foreign Minister after one of his failed attempts at regaining the Labor leadership.

Ms O’Neill has been named as a possible contender to take up the position, after she lost her Central Coast seat of Robertson to the Liberals’ Lucy Wicks in the September election.

She says she will throw her hat into the ring.

“I do intend to nominate for the Senate so I can continue to work for the people of the Central Coast and indeed across NSW if I am success in my bid for a Senate position”, she said.

But Ms O’Neill says it is not a done deal

“Oh no, these things are never done until they’re done. The formal processes will be followed.

“The reality is we have wall-to-wall Liberals across the coast and that’s a powerful reason for establishing a powerful base for Labor here on the coast.”

The NSW Branch of the Labor Party will open nominations immediately, to close in one week.