Now that the ballot papers have been dusted off, the AEC is back in full compliance mode and procedural overdrive, and with the latest Liberal ballot has delivered a winner, all eyes are on Sussan Ley, the newly confirmed leader of the federal Liberal Party.
To most female Liberal leaders, Sussan Ley’s win felt less like a surprise and more like a temperature check—a move from the traditionally conservative to the moderately warm zone of the Liberal Party’s base.
Stephanie Di Pasqua, one of the youngest elected state MPs, weighed in on the party’s shift under Sussan Ley’s leadership.
Di Pasqua said, “Sussan Ley became the first female leader of the federal Liberal Party in its 81-year history. Although I am a State Member of Parliament and did not vote in the federal leadership ballot, I speak for many women when I say that Sussan’s election is truly inspiring.”
“Sussan’s election is a wonderful example to women across Australia,” she added. She is a migrant, a mother, a pilot, an executive. After all, we must be the change we want to see.”
Other state counterparts have also offered their congratulations, expressing confidence in the Liberal Party’s next chapter.
Elizabeth Lee, Member for Kurrajong in Canberra, stated, “Sussan is the right person to take our party forward.”
Tina Ayyad, State Member for Holsworthy, echoed this sentiment, highlighting the significant experience Ley brings to the table. “Sussan brings ample experience and knowledge as a parliamentarian and has made history as our first female leader. I am confident that, as federal opposition leader, she will hold the Albanese Labor Government accountable,” Ayyad added.
While there is no doubt that her leadership marks a historic moment as one of the first women to lead the Liberals at the federal level, her past connections to the Arab world — including her childhood and early years spent in the Emirates—are resurfacing in light of her newly elected position and potential future stance on Middle East policy.
Ley’s father worked in the United Arab Emirates, serving as a British Intelligence Officer to Emirati officials. He spoke Arabic, attended Islamic events with his family during Ramadan, and immersed himself in the vibrant and diverse Arab culture—an influence that Ley says she holds in ‘high regard’.
Her life and career before entering politics were a patchwork of distinct experiences, somehow seamlessly woven together. After spending her childhood in the United Arab Emirates, she moved to England for boarding school, before finally settling in Toowoomba with her family. She lived through the Beef Price Crash of 1974, and in an interview with Richard Fidler over a decade ago, she reflected on how the crisis, along with her years as a wool farmer, helped shape her early views on policy and economics. “I saw things from a liberal lens,” she said. She emerged with a strong belief in freer markets and more efficient economic management—opposed to heavy-handed regulation.
Ley has previously served as co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. She is also a strong supporter of the Liberal Friends of Lebanon. She is also well-informed about the dynamics and policymaking of Arab and Middle Eastern politics.
