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The Canberra Liberals often attacked by Labor as the "most conservative Liberal branch in the country" want you to believe that the appointment of Elizabeth Lee as leader is a change in direction for a party that has learned from a sixth straight election loss.

"This is a fresh new beginning," the party declared shortly after she was picked by her colleagues on Tuesday.

It's true there are some big changes afoot and her selection is a first on many fronts.

Lee and her new deputy Giulia Jones will be the first female pair to lead a party in ACT politics, and Lee is the first person of an Asian background to be at the helm of an ACT party.

Not since Kate Carnell was chief minister two decades ago has a woman led the Canberra Liberals.

In the 19 years since, six other men have led the party Gary Humphries, Brendan Smyth, Bill Stefaniak, Zed Seselja, Jeremy Hanson and now Alistair Coe. None have prevailed against Labor and the Greens.

Carnell, the only leader to ever win an election for the Liberals in the ACT, last year warned the party against pitching conservative policy to a progressive town, believing that a Liberal victory hinged on ideology.

So does the backing of Lee represent a genuine shift to the moderate wing of the party? Or is it a recognition by the conservatives of a need to recalibrate after consigning themselves to another four years in opposition?

Yesterday's leadership ballot was a moderate against a moderate and that in itself is an indication of the party's acknowledgement they need to change, or as one Liberal MLA put it: "drawing a line in the sand".

And a vote for former leader Jeremy Hanson, however popular he may be, would have signalled a retreat of sorts, so instead it was out with the old and in with the new. The numbers favoured Lee overwhelmingly.

Fronting the press for the first time as leader, Lee said that politics had been craving diversity, in both background and gender.

She admitted the party must change direction as it reviewed what went so wrong at the October 17 poll, when they suffered a 3 per cent swing away from the Liberals.

However, she wouldn't say exactly what needed to change and she made it clear that the Canberra Liberals proudly enjoyed a "broad church" of views.

It appears the 41-year-old is keen to give an impression of change and a fresh voice and, as a moderate, she'll be determined to shake the nagging perception that senior conservative figures continue to pull the strings behind the scenes.

As the party attempts to move forward Lee may have to make concessions in order to maintain her moderate agenda while also keeping the right of the party happy.

The course Lee chooses is important because the next Legislative Assembly will be as progressive as it has ever been, with a remarkable six Greens MLAs.

Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury suggests a group of moderate Liberals are seeking to wrest control of the party from key conservative forces who have controlled the party for several years.

"We'd love to have a more constructive, working relationship with the Liberal party," Rattenbury said.

"If they actually start to take up policy positions that we have more in common, we're always keen to work with them."

It's a sentiment shared by re-elected Chief Minister Andrew Barr.

"Under new leadership there may be more occasions where the Government and the Opposition can find common ground on policy matters," he said after Lee's appointment.

As Lee put it: "Canberra spoke very loudly and we must listen."

It's a basic but necessary point if the Liberals are ever to move out of the political wilderness.

See more here:
Six other Liberal leaders couldn't do it. Will Elizabeth Lee be the one to end Labor's reign in Canberra? - ABC News