Leanne Castley is already partyless but some Liberals want her gone entirely

Leanne Castley will serve as an independent member for Yerrabi. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie)

Whether they're being driven away or choosing to jump in a getaway car, the women who have recently led the Canberra Liberals are no longer anywhere near the driver's seat.

And that's a problematic pattern for the territory's entrenched opposition, who are now not only down a member in the ACT Legislative Assembly but also missing a shadow minister for women in Leanne Castley.

The former leader quit the party yesterday, citing a "toxic culture", including "bullying, intimidation, lies and a threat of physical assault".

This claim was quickly rejected by her successor, Mark Parton, who instead described discussions within the party as "robust".

Academic advocate for gender equity Virginia Hausseggar says women in politics are held to different standards. (Supplied)

Journalist and academic advocate for gender equity Virginia Haussegger says it's logical to excuse the ugly parts of politics as a bruising game that's not for the faint-hearted. After all, it's public, fast-paced, and everyone's a stakeholder.

But she says the problem is there are different rules for women.

"Here we are again … talking about the need for women to toughen up when it comes to politics," Ms Haussegger told 666 ABC Canberra.

"There's absolutely no doubt that we hold women to a higher standard in politics than men and we see this over and over again.

"We saw it with the departure of the last [federal] Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley, who was held to a very high standard — standards that we don't hold men to.

"It's quite interesting if we reflect on some of the things Barnaby Joyce has done publicly. He was paralytic with his drunkenness, such that he was lying on the ground in the gutter.

"If a woman did that, she would no longer be showing her face in public."

She says it's true that politics is a "rough game" and that both male and female leaders will sledge rivals.

But she adds girls with political ambitions are being dissuaded by instances of nastiness — and that's the real shame.

Leanne Castley's move to the crossbench was labelled a "betrayal" by former ACT chief minister Gary Humphries. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)

Ms Castley might now be partyless, but former ACT chief minister Gary Humphries would like to see her out of the assembly entirely.

"Leanne Castley won her seat because she was a Liberal and now … to carry that seat off to the crossbench, I think is an act of betrayal to the people who voted for her because she was a Liberal," Mr Humphries said.

But did Yerrab