Ousted opposition leader Elizabeth Lee has defended seeking talks with the ACT Greens in an effort to form government, a move cited by her successful leadership challenger as a reason for shifting support away from Ms Lee.
Leanne Castley won the leadership of the Canberra Liberals in a party room ballot on Thursday morning, after moving her support in a last-minute deal struck with Jeremy Hanson.
Ms Castley defeated Ms Lee five votes to four.
Ms Lee also said she would not seek a position on Leanne Castley's Liberal front bench after losing the party's leadership on Thursday, and would also take some time to consider her future.
"There's no doubts it's politics, and that's what it is," Ms Lee said.
Ms Castley said she would not have considered negotiations with the Greens.
"Working with the Greens on a motion here and there, or in committees through the Assembly term, of course is something that we will do. Being in government is something very different," she said after the party room meeting.
But Ms Lee said she had made the call to do everything in her power to give the Liberals a chance to form government.
"I took advice from people within my party division, within the federal secretariat and including former leaders, who did exactly the same thing," Ms Lee said.
Ms Lee said if talks with the Greens had been a huge concern, she would have expected it to have been raised privately with her.
Labor and the Liberals looked to be in a position on election night where they might have held the same number of Assembly seats, offering a potential path for the Liberals to form government with independents or the Greens.
"It was very clear from the speeches that were delivered by both [Greens leader Shane] Rattenbury and [ACT Labor leader Andrew] Barr that there wasn't an agreed position of a coalition. As any opposition leader should do, I made the call to see if I could do everything in my power to give us the best chance of forming government," Ms Lee said.
Former Canberra Liberals leaders Alistair Coe and Zed Seselja sought talks with the ACT Greens after separate territory elections.
Ms Lee would not say whether she thought Ms Castley's response showed that the newly installed leader did not understand her role.
"I think the party room has made its decision. And I respect the decision that the party room has made," she said.
"Leanne and Jeremy will be the new leadership team going forward, and I wish them all the very best."
Ms Lee said she would make no rash decisions about her future.
"Obviously, there's a lot of considerations in terms of discussing with my family, as well as colleagues, the broader party membership and my constituents, who, despite everything, have overwhelmingly voted for me to be their representative," she said.
