Australia's conservative opposition picks Ley as first woman leader

Arab News

13-05-2025

Australia's conservative opposition picked Sussan Ley as its first woman leader on Tuesday, charting a fresh course after a humiliating election loss partly blamed on hardline Trump-esque policies.
The 63-year-old replaces former police officer Peter Dutton as leader of the conservative Liberal Party, which was trounced by left-leaning Labor in May 3 national elections.
Dutton's failure to win votes in Australia's cities -- and his deep unpopularity with women -- have been blamed as major factors in the heavy election loss.
Ley, a former stock-mustering pilot who has spent more than 20 years in national politics, is seen as a more moderate voice within the right-leaning Liberal Party.
She is the first woman to lead the Liberal Party at a national level in its 80-year history.
"I am humbled, I am honoured and I am up for the job," she said in her first press conference as leader.
Ley refused to be drawn on whether she would keep a highly contentious policy to embrace nuclear energy in place of renewables.
"I committed to my colleagues that there would be no captain's calls from anywhere," she said.
"Unsurprisingly in our party there are many different views, and we will listen and we will take the positions that we need to at the appropriate time."
Ley was born "Susan" but changed to "Sussan" in her youth because it gave a better numerology reading -- an astrology-like belief that charts fate through letters and numbers.
Dutton cultivated a "hard man" image with tough talk on crime and immigration and a pledge to slash the public service.
Some critics dismissed his policies as "Trump-lite".