The new leader of the Canberra Liberals, Leanne Castley, says she and her colleagues will embark on a listening tour of the ACT's electorates to understand what they could have done to win more votes.
Ms Castley made the pledge in an email sent to Liberal party members after she defeated Elizabeth Lee in a party room ballot on Thursday morning.
"My colleagues and I will soon embark on a 'listening tour' of the electorates, to better understand how we could have won more votes at the last election, and what we need to do to win them in 2028. I hope you will engage with that process, because it will no doubt include listening to our volunteers and supporters as well," Ms Castley wrote.
Ms Castley wrote that the news of the leadership change may have come as a surprise, but she looked forward to taking a consultative approach.
The new leader pledged to work "with all party members to find common ground, work together and unify in our objective of defeating Labor and the Greens in four years time".
On Thursday morning, Ms Castley was elected to the leadership five votes to four. Jeremy Hanson defeated Mark Parton for the deputy position five votes to four.
Ms Castley thanked Ms Lee for her leadership and tireless efforts fighting for a change of government.
"My commitment to you is that I will fight every day for our party, and our community. There is a lot of work to do. We have so much to do over the coming months and years to be match-fit and ready for another campaign. It will come around quickly, which is why the difficult work required must start today," she said.
Ms Lee on Friday revealed Ms Castley's statement on Wednesday morning that she would support Ms Lee "if she remained leader" had set off alarm bells.
"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some personal hurt at some of the discussions that, I suppose, were not had. But it's politics. It is what it is," Ms Lee told ABC radio.
But Ms Lee rejected the suggestion Ms Castley would be a puppet for Mr Hanson, who regained the deputy leadership and previously led the Canberra Liberals to the 2016 election.
"I don't think that's fair to call anyone a puppet master or a puppet. I think that's a disservice to both of those people. The party room has made a decision and I respect the party room and it would be very fair for the Canberra community, as well as the party, to support and get behind Leanne and Jeremy," she said.
Ms Lee said it was fair to say she had expected to receive the numbers, and there had been some personal hurt over conversations that were not had.
"I'd be naive to think that they weren't having discussions earlier, but I think everyone's entitled to do that. When there's a party room leadership spill happening, I'd be even more naive to think that everyone wasn't talking to everybody. I think that's the nature of politics and that's fine," she said.
Asked what she made of Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith's comment that Ms Castley was a strong media performer but had less of a grasp on detail, Ms Lee indicated Ms Castley would grow into the role.
"I have no doubts that when you have the opportunity, as well as the responsibility, to get across multiple different issues, multiple different detailed points across portfolio areas that are outside your own, most people will step up. I have no doubt that Leanne will do the same," she said.
Ms Lee indicated that it remained to be seen whether the new leadership team marked a shift to the right for the Liberals.
"I think every leader wants to make their own mark on what their leadership reflects of the party and the direction they want to take it, and I have no doubts Leanne will do the same," she said.
Canberra Liberals president Nick Tyrrell has previously said the party needed to examine why voters failed to back their candidates at the election with a first preference despite the mood for change in the ACT.
"There are many decision-points (as Donald Rumsfeld would call them) over the last four years that contributed to the result on Saturday night. We need to carefully consider all of them and resolve to do better this term," he said in the week after the election.
