<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>331971</docID> <postdate>2024-10-29 12:10:26</postdate> <headline>Lee v Hanson: Libs line up for leadership stoush</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-331974" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/lee-v-Hanson.jpg" alt="" width="591" height="394" /></p> <caption>Elizabeth Lee will recontest her leadership of the Canberra Liberals against Jeremy Hanson.</caption> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA"><strong>Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee will again face Jeremy Hanson in a ballot for the leadership at the party room spill on Thursday.</strong></p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA">Lee announced her intention to recontest her leadership role on Tuesday morning following Hanson's decided last week to stand for the position after the Liberals' seventh consecutive election loss.</p> <p>Hanson, who led the party to the 2016 election loss, characterised the October 19 failure as "very disappointing".</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA">Lee's Liberals failed to increase their seats from nine. Labor maintained its 10 seats, The Greens lost two to hold four seats and there are two new independents.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA">Ms Lee believed she was the best person to lead the Liberals to the next election, heartened she said by discussions with colleagues, party elders and the broader community.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA">She has offered an olive branch to Hanson if she was successful by inviting him to play "a very, very important role in my shadow cabinet''.</p> <p>Hanson was sensationally dumped as deputy leader in an unexpected party room move by Lee in December where he was replaced by Leanne Castley.</p> <p class="paragraph_paragraph__iYReA"> </body>