The newly appointed Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, struck a balance of optimism and realism in her first press conference after narrowly securing the Liberal Party leadership, defeating the right-faction’s Angus Taylor.
“I’m optimistic that we have the right ideas, and I’m positive about what lies ahead,” Ley told reporters after the depleted party room voted for her 29 to 25.
“We know the vote for Labor was a soft vote.”
On May 3, Labor won the federal election and so far has secured 93 seats, one of the largest in Australian parliamentary history, while reducing the Liberal Party to 42 seats, its lowest since federation.
“I am well conscious of the scale and size of that defeat,” Ley said.
“We have a Liberal Party that respects modern Australia, reflects modern Australia, and represents modern Australia. I want to do things differently, and we have to have a fresh approach.”
Her goal, she said, was to harness the talents of the entire party room to build an agenda that can satisfy Australians.
“We will develop robust policy processes to value those contributions,” Ley added. “I can’t wait to get started, along with Ted [O'Brien], on that important task.”
Ley acknowledged her leadership rival, Taylor.
“He would have been a fine leader,” she said of Taylor. “He’s an intelligent, talented contributor ... he will have an integral role in our party.”
Ley also shared her personal journey.
“My story is a migrant story, it’s a small business story, it’s a rural Australia story, it’s a story about a mum and a family, and it is a modern Australian story.”
Deputy Leader O'Brien echoed the tone, sharing his background as the youngest of nine children.
“I came to know very early the importance of the broader group, that it’s not just about you, it’s about everybody else.”
No Captain’s Calls on Policy, Backs Stable Energy
Ley made clear there would be no unilateral decisions on key policy matters, including nuclear energy.“There won’t be any captain’s calls,” she said.
“We will canvass the different views and take the time to get it right.”
She reinforced her support for emissions reduction but tied it to economic resilience.
“If we don’t do energy policy well, we can crash the energy grid. We can cripple Australian manufacturing,” Ley warned.
Engagement With Business and Shadow Cabinet
Amid reports that Liberal ties with big business had frayed, Ley committed to open dialogue.“We will work with big business, engage big business, and sit down with everyone—big, small, and medium—to listen to the value they add to public policy,” she said. “We’ve seen 30,000 small businesses go to the wall under Albanese, and that cannot continue.”
On the makeup of her team, she said, “My Shadow Cabinet will include people who did support me ... and people who did not.”
Winning Back the Cities and Women Voters
Ley and her deputy both hail from regional seats, raising questions about the party’s urban appeal. She acknowledged the poor showing in metropolitan areas.“The road back to government goes through every single seat that we lost,” she said. “We did have a poor result, and I’m not backing away from that.”
She promised to consult widely, especially with defeated candidates.
“They will be first on the list of consultation,” she said. “They can give us so much information about what we seek.”
Addressing another key issue, Ley recognised the party’s failure to maintain support among women voters.
“We need more women in our party, in our party organisation, and in this party room,” she said. “Had we done better at the last election, we would have outstanding women in this party room.”
She noted a post-election review in 2022 had offered strategies to address the gender gap, and that the party’s federated structure had taken steps to implement those recommendations.
On Gaza and a Changed Perspective
Asked whether she still supported the Palestinian cause—given her previous comments in Parliament—Ley said her position had changed.
“One of the great privileges of advancing in years and understanding is looking at issues that you might have once seen through one prism, through a different prism,” she said.
She confirmed that her position had changed after visiting Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in 2023.
“I spent a lot of time seeing what was happening on the ground,” she said, referring to her recent trip.
“The impact of that trip and the changed geopolitical circumstances of the Abraham Accords … I remain a steadfast friend of the Palestinian people, and I wish that we had a partner in this peace process.”
Engaging Chinese-Australian Voters
With the Liberal Party struggling again in electorates with major Chinese-Australian voting groups, Deputy Leader O'Brien said there would be more inclusivity.
O'Brien has lived in China and Taiwan, conducted business there, and speaks Mandarin.
“Our multicultural communities in Australia need to be engaged very openly. They help define who we are,” said Ley.
“When you have new Australians—and sometimes it can be from China—coming in, I think that they are every bit as Australian as soon as they take that pledge as is the prime minister or the oldest of our Indigenous people.”
Strengthening the Coalition
Ley reaffirmed the importance of the Coalition’s longstanding alliance with the National Party, saying any path to a stable conservative government depends on a united front.
“A Coalition government is always stronger when there is a coalition between the Liberals and the Nationals—and I strongly believe that,” she said.
Ley confirmed she had not yet spoken to Nationals leader David Littleproud but anticipated productive dialogue.
“When I do, it will be a constructive one,” she said.
