Liberal MPs’ warning as Sussan Ley takes party leadership
Multiple Liberal MPs have privately warned destabilising “blood letting” was “inevitable” following Sussan Ley’s election as the party’s leader.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Sussan Ley has become the first female leader of the federal Liberal Party vowing to win back voters’ trust with policies that reflect modern Australia and unite her bruised and divided party.
Ms Ley, 63, narrowly defeated rival leadership contender Angus Taylor 29 to 25 in a secret ballot on Tuesday, describing her election as “an enormous privilege” and promising she was “up for the job”.
Following the result, Liberals lined up to declare it was a time for “unity”, but multiple MPs have privately warned destabilising “blood letting” was “inevitable”.
After the Liberals’ wipe-out in Tasmania, Adelaide, most of metropolitan Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Ms Ley acknowledged the party had “let women down” and lost the support of multicultural communities.
She promised to deliver economic and tax policies that would make the party “competitive” at the 2028 election.
Ms Ley paid tribute to her mother, Angela Braybrooks, who she revealed was in end of life care at home in Albury.
“My mum grew up in wartime Britain, and the values of resilience, self-reliance, and persistence that I believe I have today, come from her,” she said.
Ms Ley was first elected in the regional NSW seat of Farrer in 2001 and has been a cabinet minister in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments, before becoming deputy Liberal leader under Peter Dutton.
Her supporters described the ascension of a woman to the top job for the first time in the party’s 80-year history as a sign Liberals had “listened” to the message Australian voters sent on May 3 when they resoundingly rejected Mr Dutton’s pitch.
But Ms Ley’s wafer-thin majority support in the party room will dwindle even further when two of her backers, Senators Hollie Hughes and Linda Reynolds, depart at the end of their Senate terms on June 30.
“There is a lot of blood letting to come,” one Liberal MP said. But another MP said it would be a “brave” person to “cut down” the party’s first female leader before an election.
Ms Ley has promised her colleagues there would be “no captain’s calls” under her leadership, and said “no policies have been walked away from or adopted at this time”.
On nuclear power, Ms Ley said she had committed to “canvas the different views, and take the time to get it right”.
Asked about the Coalition’s pledge to reach net zero by 2050, Ms Ley said it was important to get “energy policy as a whole right”.
“We need to reduce emissions in this country, and Australia needs to play its part … that, I absolutely sign up to,” she said.
“We also know that, if we don’t do energy policy well, we can crash the energy grid.”
Ms Ley, a former member of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine and advocate for a two-state solution, said her views had shifted over time.
She said a visit to Israel in 2022 had been a formative experience, and later the “hideous” events of October 7 had “changed my thinking on the entire subject”.
“Having said that, I remain a steadfast friend of the Palestinian people,” she said.
Ms Ley warned the Albanese Government’s approach to Jewish Australians was the “biggest threat to social cohesion” in the country.
Liberals also elected Ted O’Brien, who’s seat of Fairfax includes Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, as deputy leader by 38 to 16 votes in a surprise contest with fellow Queenslander, Herbert MP Phil Thompson.
Mr Thompson’s spur of the moment decision to stand for the deputy position came after Northern Territory Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price decided not to run.
Ms Price said she had only ever intended to challenge if Mr Taylor won the leadership, but insisted dropping out had not lessened her resolve to “rebuild and strengthen” the party.
Liberal MPs are split on the impact of Ms Price’s defection from the Nationals, with one supporter of Mr Taylor saying they believed it ultimately “hindered” rather than helped his cause.
Another MP described it as “silly theatrics”.
One Liberal said they believed Ms Price had brought a few of the “swing” votes in the party room over to Mr Taylor.
Ms Ley said Ms Price was a “clear and talented communicator” who was “welcome” in the Liberals’ party room.
Asked if there would be a spot for Ms Price on the Liberals’ frontbench, Ms Ley said “my shadow cabinet will include people who did support me … and people who did not”.
It is likely Mr O’Brien, who as deputy gets to pick a portfolio, will put his hand up to be treasury spokesman.
In that event, Mr Taylor is expected to move to the backbench rather than serve in another cabinet role.
Asked if she would only stand in front of an Australian flag as her predecessor, Mr Dutton, had vowed, Ms Ley gave a double-edged answer.
“We should unite under the one Australian flag, that is my firm view,” she said, before adding “of course I’m happy to stand in front of the Aboriginal flag”.
Ex-soldier appeals horrific rape crimes
The Perth father was handed one of the longest prison terms in WA after he was found to have drugged and filmed the rape of multiple women.
Sussan Ley’s position is far from assured
The newly elected Liberal leader now presides over a fractured party room where almost half of her colleagues do not believe she is the right person to lead them.