Castley had the credentials to appeal to many. Then she stepped in the piranha pond

Castley had the credentials to appeal to many. Then she stepped in the piranha pond

Leanne Castley’s time in leadership ended with disappointment. She probably should have stayed with her earlier career as a country music singer, where her voice carried an appealing blend of grit and melody. Her public image, shaped around her passion for cars, motorbikes, and engines, helped her seem relatable.

But politics proved to be a harsher arena. After the Canberra Liberals suffered their seventh straight election loss in October of the previous year, Castley was elected leader, replacing Elizabeth Lee, with Jeremy Hanson as her deputy. It appeared to be a fresh start for the party and its small but determined group of supporters.

“I am leader through to 2028,”

she declared optimistically — a promise that now seems painfully short-lived. In barely three years, both Castley and Hanson resigned, bringing the short-lived renewal to an end.

“Too much time living underneath the clouds that only rain on me,”

she once sang in her own song, a line that now feels prophetic. Despite the early hope, her tenure quickly became marked by internal division. Even in the aftermath of the election loss, her shifting allegiances — first supporting Elizabeth Lee and then reversing course — hinted at trouble ahead. Politics, it turned out, was far less forgiving than music.

Author’s Summary

Leanne Castley’s move from country music to political leadership began with optimism but ended in resignation, showing how easily ambition can clash with political reality.

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The Canberra Times The Canberra Times — 2025-11-10

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