While the Coalition defied the polls and swept to power, the ballot box has proven the local branch faces an uphill slog to the October 2020 ACT election.

While there were slender swings towards the Liberals in the seats of Fenner and Bean, Labor collected about 60 per cent of ACT votes on a two-party preferred basis and claimed four of the five federal representative spots.

But Liberals leader Alistair Coe said there's a big difference between how voters cast their ballot at a federal and territory election.

"Unfortunately the ACT has never been particularly strong for the Liberals at a federal election. That's just the way it is, that's the way it's always been," Mr Coe said.

"What we do know is at a local level back in 2016 there was only one percentage point difference between the Labor party and the Liberal party so in the lead-up to October 2020 it is close and we're going to be doing everything we can to try and bring about the same result that happened on Saturday across the nation."

Chief Minister Andrew Barr is taking the local results as an endorsement of his government's agenda.

"I do take great heart from the strongest primary vote for the Labor party in the country being here in the ACT and I acknowledge the very strong result for the ACT Greens and for the Australian Progressives," Mr Barr said.

"If you combine the total primary and two-party preferred vote for the progressive side of politics in the ACT it's well over 60 per cent and it's nearly double that of the Liberal party, so I get that very clear message that ACT voters and particularly Labor voters want us to stay the course on progressive policies that respond to our community's needs.

"That's exactly what we'll do in the budget and over the balance of this parliamentary term and they'll be the sort of politics that we'll take to the 2020 election."

But Mr Coe said the results across Canberra were "far more complex than what some people would have you believe".

"Canberra, whilst it is a small place, there is diversity here, there are pockets of Canberra that vote differently to other parts of the city so we've got to be careful not to lump all Canberrans together in terms of their voting habits," Mr Coe said.

Mr Coe said he "firmly believed" the Coalition's win could be replicated in the territory next year.

"What we know is the rates, taxes, fees and charges are having a huge toll on Canberrans and whilst there are some Canberrans who can afford it, there are many that can't, and you've also got to ask the question: are you getting good value for money, are the services being delivered commensurate to the prices we're paying?" Mr Coe said.

"We have a great opportunity over the coming 18 months to mount our case for why we need a change of government in Canberra."