A former deputy chief minister says he will be searching for a new job since losing his seat and has implored Adam Giles to shoulder more responsibility for the electoral battering.

Key points: Peter Chandler loses seat of Brennan, 'looking for job'

Peter Chandler loses seat of Brennan, 'looking for job' Mr Chandler takes aim at Adam Giles for not acting 'more statesmanly'

Mr Chandler takes aim at Adam Giles for not acting 'more statesmanly' Former minister attempted to distance himself from 'shenanigans'

After spending eight years in parliament and serving as Mr Giles' deputy from September to 2014 to 2015, Country Liberal Peter Chandler has lost his seat of Brennan by 200 votes.

"I was resolute that we would probably lose government, given the feedback from the community, I certainly didn't think I would lose my seat," he told 105.7 ABC Darwin.

"I thought we'd be left between seven, eight maybe even nine seats - that wasn't to be."

Mr Chandler said he hoped to continue to serve the CLP, but said he may need to look outside government because politicians who were elected after 2005 were no longer entitled to a parliamentary pension.

"I look at history and I know that there are many former members of parliament who've actually had to leave town," he said.

"I've got a family to feed, a family to support so I'll be looking for employment opportunities."

"I hope I have a lot more to deliver for the Northern Territory, and be part of a team to perhaps rebuild and establish the Country Liberals to what it once was."

The former education minister lambasted the tone of Mr Giles' concession speech, criticising him for not taking more responsibility for the "shenanigans" of the four-year term.

"I'm disappointed that Adam hasn't acted more, I suppose, more statesmanly in his concession speech and so forth," Mr Chandler said.

"I think that even leaves a bad look, but it's probably the mark of a person.

"And everything that has happened to this party has happened since Adam had taken over in the last few years.

Demise of CLP 'happened under the leadership of one man'

Mr Chandler said under Mr Giles the CLP was eroded to a minor government after he ousted Terry Mills months after he had led the party to an election victory with 16 members of parliament.

"Then a dramatic loss at the last election, now that has all happened under the leadership of one man," the former deputy said.

"As I said, a true leader takes responsibility for the actions of his team."

He described the tumultuous reign of the past four years as an "absolute train crash" resulting from a collision of "personalities, personal lives and of course public lives".

"On the surface it was a really, really bad look and it was embarrassing at times, absolutely embarrassing," Mr Chandler said.

"And as I said, I tried to distance myself from the all the shenanigans that went on."

He said he had even considered leaving the CLP.

"There was a call by many of my friends, many colleagues to say to 'save yourself you need to leave this bunch'," he said.

The former deputy said he would prefer to look forward and re-establish himself, rather than "play the blame game".

In the wake of the spectacular defeat which is set to see the CLP with less than seats than independent, former colleagues and CLP senior figures have also criticised Mr Giles' leadership.