Sussan Ley: The First Woman to Lead Australia’s Liberal Party

May 14, 2025 Komal Das

Australia's Liberal Party elects Sussan Ley as its first female leader succeeding Peter Dutton after a historic election defeat

[{"selector":"#anim-9d2afd83-c628-4da0-9239-bba8db633687 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-8.677685870232715%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7e92e963-ebdf-4241-bdc8-a6649f561225","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-04459ce4-b6e4-438d-9a93-36869b71f23d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-648f4642-130c-46c2-bd60-c2c94a76b581","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The Liberal-National coalition won only 42 seats in the May 3 election while Labour secured 93 seats in a landslide victory

[{"selector":"#anim-d4808bb7-b84f-4980-bd8e-3d8e1ddbd503 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(2.7503487929321913%, 13.350136143901393%) scale(1.4385964912280702)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19cb7421-ff85-4a19-aee3-bf8f7df1a738","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8ff19079-41a9-4082-9c54-8704c29f608d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-05cb167c-5a1b-460d-aa32-ac9414ae6b6e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Sussan Ley narrowly defeated conservative Angus Taylor by four votes becoming the face of the party's moderate faction

[{"selector":"#anim-4e4f8ae4-8a1f-4344-a19b-a9025a0e2129 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-15.962106892595045%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec7547d3-5e64-4140-bd0d-c88cc121fe96","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ab84b1e-f6e8-4cdb-810d-2e82419436e9","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a68f0ea2-b7fc-4b6f-b7fe-50e1246ed659","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Born in Nigeria in 1961 Ley moved to Australia at 13 and pursued diverse careers including pilot air traffic controller and farmer

[{"selector":"#anim-ace013e7-f9cb-443d-be7b-44ceddd14768 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.266907547076242%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9eacc0e8-e3bd-4ba3-b3d8-bd87881514b6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c400f70c-1c74-48de-8db6-200a94c3401d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ed9f41ad-c232-483b-b98c-693456cc2241","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

She earned degrees in Economics Taxation Law and Accounting while raising three children and managing a farm

[{"selector":"#anim-cf640dfe-54a3-407c-91e1-dc54e15505bc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(10.009283867838752%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4916393a-a31b-4c96-9304-c0578c484956","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9e97117b-086d-444b-9bdb-0b8e38e8c3fe","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-235613ee-ed02-41c7-b74c-e93e84e2e695","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Ley joined politics in 2001 as Member for Farrer and has been re-elected seven times since narrowly winning her first election

[{"selector":"#anim-92bfae67-b934-4287-8ae3-711714c707b4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cafdb0dd-dd0f-4abf-97fe-405e6ddce7a8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-afe8a4a1-e4f0-44f3-88da-bfb0980806dc","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-77de23c0-899b-4de1-9dde-4df22c5ad856","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

She served as Health and Environment Minister but resigned as Health Minister in 2017 over misuse of public funds

[{"selector":"#anim-9a97a228-3419-411e-8ec9-5e045adc0fa3 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18e8e82e-1874-4302-ab2c-6fdfb8739944","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ff168c9-a719-424c-8d85-9fe4a9078ec6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-44c1d4b3-9d7f-448c-8528-9a92712f7488","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Sussan Ley pledges to unite and modernize the Liberal Party focusing on inclusivity to regain public trust and voter support

[{"selector":"#anim-d2be9b91-1d5c-4b81-8450-ab36adee831c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-8.71183129388669%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-66330538-900f-48f6-96a4-ccbeab632416","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":1000,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6e9d170d-7d1a-47fd-800d-3f43f367de6e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5f5a5d93-0409-477b-933f-de76b30f5e09","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":3000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Read More Tommy Genesis Sparks Outrage with “True Blue” Video “ISRAEL DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS.” – Trump’s All‑Caps Ultimatum 8 Ancient Indigenous Tribes You Should Know About Israel–Iran “12‑Day War”: Who Really Won?