Sussan Ley to hero 'aspirational Australians' in first NPC address as Liberal Leader
Sussan Ley is set to outline how the Liberal Party intends to 'rebuild trust' with Australian voters after admitting the party was 'smashed' on the May 3 federal poll, stating her 'focus' will be on 'aspirational Australians'.
After the party was reduced to a mere 43 seats, the Opposition Leader is set to use Wednesday's National Press Club address to acknowledge the party's abysmal performance, stating that: 'We didn't just lose. We got smashed'.
Notably, Ms Ley's attendance at the Canberra institution also bucks the trend set by her predecessor Peter Dutton, who was criticised by Anthony Albanese for snubbing the tradition.
While Ms Ley's speech won't detail any firm policy commitments, with the party still undertaking an election post-mortem, she is expected to comment on the party's new approach to policy and outline priority areas she aims to focus on in the next three years.
She will also outline her plan to rebuild the Liberal Party into a 'effective alternative' before the next election, Ms Ley will say that the new-look party will restore living standards and reward 'aspirational Australians'.
She will also identify the cost-of-living crisis, stagnant wages and the barriers to home ownership as key barriers to success.
'Aspiration is the foundation of the Australian promise: that if you work hard, play by the rules, do your best for your kids and contribute to your community, you will be able to build a better life for yourself and your family,' she said.
'That promise feels distant for many Australians today.'
Ms Ley is also set to define her vision of 'modern Australia' in an attempt to win back key groups alienated by the Liberal Party in May.
This includes women, young voters and people in metro areas, with the party progressively losing its hold in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and completely wiped out in Adelaide.
Instead, Ms Ley will describe Modern Australia as 'diverse, dynamic and ambitious,' and 'made up of people from every corner of the world'.
Her comments will also indicate that the Liberals will make a concerted effort to appeal to 'families raising children in the suburbs,' plus young people entering the workforce, renters, students and older Australians 'who helped build this country'.
'Modern Australia is not just one story. It's all of them,' she is expected to say.
'And our party must be big enough to represent that shared experience.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
2 hours ago
- Perth Now
'We got smashed': but Ley eyes political resurrection
A plan to resurrect the coalition from the ashes of its election loss will be revealed by the opposition leader as she vows to represent modern Australia. Sussan Ley will become the first Liberal leader to address the National Press Club since 2022 and the first female opposition leader to use the platform when she outlines her vision to win back voters on Wednesday. Australians handed the coalition its worst loss at the federal election in May and, although Ms Ley has said her appointment to the opposition's top job represented a fresh approach, there is still some way to go. "Let's be honest and up front about last month's election. We didn't just lose, we got smashed," she will say in her address. "We respect the election outcome with humility, we accept it with contrition and we must learn from it with conviction. "The task before me - and my team - is to lead a Liberal Party that respects modern Australia, reflects modern Australia and represents modern Australia." Polls before the election suggested the coalition would not form government but the depth of the defeat was a shock. The coalition was left without a leader and with less than half as many seats as Labor. Policies such as an end to working-from-home arrangements for public servants and vague threats to cut jobs in government departments were blamed for its unpopularity with voters, alongside a perceived tendency to wade into culture wars. These platforms failed to win over women and younger Australians, in particular. But Ms Ley has committed to bringing them back into the Liberal fold, vowing to represent young and older Australians, professionals, everyday workers and families. "Aspiration is the thread that connects every single part of Australian society," she will say. "Aspiration is the foundation of the Australian promise. "That promise feels distant for many Australians today." By promising to reward, back and empower Australians, Ms Ley hopes to offer a strong alternative vote at the next federal election. The coalition has been urged to move back towards the political centre, but many of its moderate members were wiped out at the election, leaving a significant contingent of conservatives that could threaten Ms Ley's leadership during the next three years. She also has to navigate the relationship with the National Party after the long-term coalition partners split briefly during the fallout from the calamitous election result.


SBS Australia
6 hours ago
- SBS Australia
Alex Johnston closing in on an all-time record & where to next for Selwyn Cobbo?
Interviews and feature reports from NITV. A mob-made podcast about all things Blak life. The Point: Referendum Road Trip Live weekly on Tuesday at 7.30pm Join Narelda Jacobs and John Paul Janke to get unique Indigenous perspectives and cutting-edge analysis on the road to the referendum. Watch now

News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Sussan Ley to hero 'aspirational Australians' in first NPC address as Liberal Leader
Sussan Ley is set to outline how the Liberal Party intends to 'rebuild trust' with Australian voters after admitting the party was 'smashed' on the May 3 federal poll, stating her 'focus' will be on 'aspirational Australians'. After the party was reduced to a mere 43 seats, the Opposition Leader is set to use Wednesday's National Press Club address to acknowledge the party's abysmal performance, stating that: 'We didn't just lose. We got smashed'. Notably, Ms Ley's attendance at the Canberra institution also bucks the trend set by her predecessor Peter Dutton, who was criticised by Anthony Albanese for snubbing the tradition. While Ms Ley's speech won't detail any firm policy commitments, with the party still undertaking an election post-mortem, she is expected to comment on the party's new approach to policy and outline priority areas she aims to focus on in the next three years. She will also outline her plan to rebuild the Liberal Party into a 'effective alternative' before the next election, Ms Ley will say that the new-look party will restore living standards and reward 'aspirational Australians'. She will also identify the cost-of-living crisis, stagnant wages and the barriers to home ownership as key barriers to success. 'Aspiration is the foundation of the Australian promise: that if you work hard, play by the rules, do your best for your kids and contribute to your community, you will be able to build a better life for yourself and your family,' she said. 'That promise feels distant for many Australians today.' Ms Ley is also set to define her vision of 'modern Australia' in an attempt to win back key groups alienated by the Liberal Party in May. This includes women, young voters and people in metro areas, with the party progressively losing its hold in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and completely wiped out in Adelaide. Instead, Ms Ley will describe Modern Australia as 'diverse, dynamic and ambitious,' and 'made up of people from every corner of the world'. Her comments will also indicate that the Liberals will make a concerted effort to appeal to 'families raising children in the suburbs,' plus young people entering the workforce, renters, students and older Australians 'who helped build this country'. 'Modern Australia is not just one story. It's all of them,' she is expected to say. 'And our party must be big enough to represent that shared experience.'