The Northern Territory's former Chief Minister wasn't planning to announce his retirement from politics on Thursday night, he says.
Terry Mills surprised his colleagues by resigning on the final day of February sittings after almost a year sitting on the backbench.
He had led the Country Liberals back into power in August 2012 after 11 years in opposition but was rolled by Adam Giles only six months later while on a trade trip to Japan.
"I had been coming to this decision for quite some time," he told reporters in Darwin on Friday.
"I wasn't planning to make that announcement last night. But then I considered it is important to go through the correct process and stand up in Parliament and make a statement so we could have that sense of closure."
A number of his colleagues spoke emotionally about his departure.
"I'm proud to know him," said Education Minister Peter Chandler.
"I look to him as a father figure. He provided a guiding hand and I will forever be in his debt for what he showed me about what makes a good politician: connecting with the community."
Colleague Lia Finnochiaro tearfully told Parliament on Thursday night that the past 18 months in government had been difficult.
"We have all shared the pain... and many of us are ashamed at what has happened," she said.
Mr Mills skirted questions of whether he felt resentment over the coup.
"That's a reflection on how I might feel personally but they aren't matters of great importance, they are my own issues and concerns," he said.
He said it was up to his colleagues to decide whether they should be ashamed of how they treated him.
When asked whether he had any regrets regarding how he seized the leadership, Mr Giles said: "What happens in politics is about politics but it's always at heart about good governance."
Mr Mills said personal ambition was a problem in politics.
"I know how difficult it could be to have a former chief minister sitting on the backbench," he said.
"I didn't want to cause any problems to the deliberations and considerations of the government."
He said he had considered re-contesting the leadership but did not want to do so in the poisonous vein of former prime minister Kevin Rudd.
"I certainly do not want to feed that sentiment in our community at all - people need to have confidence in their government, so I made the decision to step back."
A former teacher, Mr Mills is the Territory's longest-serving MLA, having spent 15 years in politics. But he had the shortest stint as chief minister.
The Country Liberals performed well in the bush electorates initially but this was marred by a sharp drop in popularity after they announced huge power and water price increases.
Despite the troubles within his party, Mr Mills is still viewed by many as "too nice" for politics.
Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie told Parliament on Thursday that Mr Mills would be remembered for his decency.
"You, as best as possible, shied away from playing the person," she said.
"You were often put in a position where you might have but your core decency led you to... land in a better and more gentlemanly space."
Mr Mills responded: "Surviving for 15 years is a fairly good testimony that you can be nice and strong, too,"
He plans to work in Australian-Indonesian relations in the lead up to the Indonesian election in April, he said.
A by-election will be announced in the coming days for Mr Mills seat of Blain, in the city of Palmerston outside of Darwin.
Labor and Country Liberal candidates are yet to be named.
In order to win, the CLP would have to put its constituents first, Mr Mills said.
"It's about government delivering services to its local community and you can only do that if you understand what they actually want. And you can only do that if you listen to them carefully and then work to achieve that," he said.
