She should never have given up the day job.

Leanne Castley was a rather good country music singer. She looks the part. Her voice is suitably raw, with a hint of sweetness when the sentiment takes her. She has all the right likes: cars, motorbikes and engines, her website says.

But then she stepped into the piranha pond.

Shortly after the Canberra Liberals suffered their seventh election defeat in a row in October last year, Ms Castley was elected leader .

Time for a new broom, the small band must have thought. Out went Elizabeth Lee and in came the new team, Ms Castley and her deputy Jeremy Hanson.

"I am leader through to 2028," she promised.

It all seemed so hopeful - a new dawn and all that. Or as one of her renditions put it: "What a perfect day-ay-ay, You can't take that away-a

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