Elizabeth Lee has been dumped as leader of the Canberra Liberals following what’s been described as a “late-night agreement”, where the party’s two most recent deputy leaders combined to ensure Leanne Castley was elected leader and Jeremy Hanson her deputy at Thursday morning’s party meeting.

Ms Castley’s surprise elevation to the leadership follows the Liberals’ seventh consecutive loss at the October 19 election where they managed only to retain their nine seats in the Legislative Assembly.

Hanson, who withdrew from the race to back Castley as leader, is returning from the political wilderness Ms Lee despatched him to when he was ambushed at a party meeting in December and stripped of his deputy leadership and portfolios.

Ms Castley was voted deputy leader and, at the time, Ms Lee said: “Going into an election year, it is more important than ever to have a leadership team that is in lockstep, and I know Leanne will support me 100 per cent and the direction we are taking to win government in 2024.”

On Tuesday, announcing her intention to seek re-election to the job she’d held since 2020, Ms Lee described herself as the best person to lead the Liberals to the 2028 election.

Mark Parton stood on the Lee ticket as deputy.

Ms Castley was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2020.