Burke had already announced that he would stand down as leader if he lost the election. The loss of his own seat made this promise moot, and speculation turned to who would lead what remained of the CLP. Mills was unlikely to take up the leadership again after having resigned as leader not long before on the grounds that he had been ineffective, and potential aspirants John Elferink and Sue Carter had also been swept out in the Labor landslide. Carney emerged as the leading candidate in the CLP's much-reduced party room, and was elected as Burke's replacement with Mills as her deputy.