Sussan Ley Becomes First Woman To Lead Liberal Party

Sussan Ley was appointed the leader of the Liberal Party in a narrow partyroom ballot on Tuesday morning, becoming the first woman to lead the party in its 81 year history.

Ley defeated fellow leadership contender, treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor, with 29 votes to his 25.

Ted O’Brien will take Ley’s former position as party leader, defeating Phil Thompson in the ballot 38-16.

63-year-old Ley has held the regional New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001, and has been a cabinet minister under the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments. During that time, she’s served as the minister for health, sport, aged care, and the environment.

She was forced to resign from Turnbull’s frontbench in 2017 after it was revealed she used taxpayer funds to travel to New Year’s Eve events hosted by prominent Queensland business woman and multimillionaire, Sarina Russo. She returned in August 2018 under the Morrison government.

Ley holds a colourful resume, working as an air traffic controller, commercial pilot and shearer’s cook, before becoming a wool and beef farmer in 1988 after marrying her husband.

What’s Ley’s track record?

Ley was backed by the moderate faction of the party for leadership, and will be expected to tackle the unenviable task of uniting and rebranding the Liberals after their defeat earlier in the month.

She supported the No vote in the Voice referendum in 2023, saying she was doing so with a “heavy heart” and accusing Anthony Albanese of bullying the country into a decision.

“It’s okay to vote no and still remain part of the national effort to help your Indigenous brothers and sisters as you look on with anguish at what is happening in their communities,” she told Parliament in May.

“It’s okay to vote no and still demand better action from all politicians when it comes to closing the gap. It’s okay to vote no full stop.”

Ley has also previously expressed support for Palestine. In 2011, she publicly supported the admission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, and was reported to be a member of the cross-party parliamentary friends of Palestine group.

However former speaker and co-chair of the parliamentary friends of Israel group, Andrew Wallace said she has changed her stance since.

“I think Sussan has seen the light on Israel in recent years,” he said outside the party room this morning.

She has previous identified as a feminist, and told the Sydney Morning Herald that she believed the workplace today was “no less challenging” than it had been in the 1980’s.

“There are still expectations and views of women that people don’t express because they are aware that they are restrained from expressing them,” she said.

“But maybe they still hold them. And maybe they still hold them in the workplace. And maybe they subliminally impart those views to women, and they feel it. So, it’s different, but it’s still a challenge.”