"We Need to Meet People Where They Are": Susan Lee Outlines Vision for Liberal Party Revival
New Leader Signals Policy Reset While Defending Coalition Partnership
Following a major electoral loss on May 3rd, SusSan Ley has been chosen as the first female leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party, marking a turning point for Australian politics. She promises to rebuild the party's fortunes. In a party room vote suggesting a possible opposition reset, Ted O'Brien was voted as deputy leader.
"It is my most privileged to have been elected the Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party. I am humbled, I am honoured and I am up for the job," Ley declared in her inaugural press conference, emphasizing her determination to reconnect with voters who abandoned the party.
Key Developments:
Historic leadership change with the Liberal Party electing its first female leader
Leey and O'Brien pledge comprehensive policy review process
Energy policy, climate action and migration identified as priority review areas
Commitment to increase female representation within party ranks
Leadership Vision: Ley articulated a clear mandate for renewal: "We have to have a Liberal Party that respects modern Australia, reflects modern Australia and that represents modern Australia. And we have to meet the people where they are."
The new leader acknowledged the severity of the party's recent electoral defeat, stating: "The scale and the size of that defeat is not lost on any of us. And right now, we have to respect the result and reflect with humility."
Personal Background: Ley's leadership brings a diverse background to the role, describing her journey as "a migrant story, a small business story, a rural Australia story." Born in England, she migrated to Australia as a teenager and built a varied career that included working as an aerial stock-mustering pilot in Western Queensland and raising three children on a family farm.
"When I came to this country as a young girl from a cold English boarding school in my teenage years, I stepped out of the aeroplane at Brisbane Airport and I looked at this brilliant blue sky, and I knew that I'd come to the best country on earth," Ley recalled.
Her educational background includes three finance degrees with a specialty master's in tax law, credentials she developed while managing family responsibilities. "I went to study when I was in my 30s. Like many mums on the farm, we needed the income," she explained.
Policy Challenges: The new leadership team faces immediate questions on several policy fronts, with climate action, migration and representation of women and diverse communities emerging as critical areas during their first press conference.
When pressed on climate policy and the party's commitment to net zero emissions, Ley indicated a review was forthcoming: "Energy policy is part of our review. We have to have the right energy policy for the country, and we have to start from the position of affordable, reliable, baseload power."
Ley committed to maintaining the Coalition relationship with the National Party, stating: "Government, coalition government is always stronger when there is a coalition between the Liberals and the Nationals, and I strongly believe that."
Female Representation: Addressing the party's declining support among female voters, Ley acknowledged significant challenges: "We did let women down. There is no doubt about that. And it is true that the numbers of women who are supporting us is declining. And I want to rule a line under that."
The new leader pledged increased representation of women within the party: "I want to say right here and now, we need more women in our party. We need more women in our party organisation. We need more women in this party room."
Multicultural Engagement: On the party's electoral losses in diverse communities, Ley observed: "It is true that seats with high migrant numbers, in many respects, we lost. But we lost other seats which were not like that too. So we're not going to jump to conclusions about the reasons why we lost the vote in certain areas."
Deputy Leader Ted O'Brien, who speaks Mandarin and has lived in China and Taiwan, emphasized the party's commitment to multicultural communities: "What I find amazing as a federal MP at citizenship tests, citizenship ceremonies, is when you have new Australians, and sometimes it can be from China coming in, to think that they are every bit an Australian as soon as they take that pledge."
Social Cohesion: Ley concluded her remarks by addressing concerns about social cohesion, particularly regarding Jewish Australians: "One of the biggest threats to social cohesion in this country is the Prime Minister's approach to Jewish Australians. And everything that happens overseas, and I've reflected on that with the hideous events in Gaza, has domestic implications."
Party Values: O'Brien emphasized core Liberal values: "We believe in the importance of freedom. We believe in the importance of equality. We believe in the importance of a fair go. A belief that with rights comes commensurate responsibilities. With effort comes reward."
The leadership change comes at a critical juncture for the Liberal Party, which must now develop a policy platform capable of reconnecting with key voter demographics ahead of the next federal election. Ley expressed confidence in the party's future prospects: "I know at the next election, we will have a competitive policy offering."
The appointment makes Ley the first woman to lead either major party in the federal Parliament in Australian history, a milestone that comes as the party grapples with its identity and electoral strategy following consecutive defeats.
Chartered Accountants ANZ (CA ANZ) CEO, Ainslie van Onselen, has offered congratulations to Sussan Ley following her election as Liberal leader.
“We welcome the election of Australia’s first female Opposition Leader, with Sussan Ley’s elevation a moment of importance for our nation’s political history,” said Ms van Onselen.
“CA ANZ notes that Ms Ley has masters degrees in taxation and accountancy – a background that we hope will help inform a push for sensible tax reform in this new Parliament.
“We will be asking the Albanese Government to undertake significant, impactful and long-term tax reform in its new term and we hope that the Opposition will support our advocacy.
“CA ANZ looks forward to working with Ms Ley as she leads the Liberal Party through a time of reflection and rebuilding – and good government needs a strong opposition.
“CA ANZ has been calling for the Government to re-think its planned tax on unrealised gains in superannuation balances over $3 million.
“We note that Ms Ley has been critical of this policy in the past, and we hope to see a renewed push from the Opposition to prevent this seriously flawed Bill from becoming law.”
Ms van Onselen also welcomed Ted O’Brien’s appointment as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party.
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