Australian news and politics recap: Sussan Ley, Ted O’Brien make first speech since Liberal leadership vote

A prominent Greens MP has quit the party and will sit as an independent, citing what she calls ‘scheming’ and mercenary tactics within the party.

South Australian co-leader Tammy Franks, a Greens MP for 15 years, said she would sit on the crossbench from Tuesday as a “progressive independent” until the 2026 State election.

“I cannot properly do the job I was elected to do until March 2026 … when trust has been broken, and I spend more time watching my back than thinking ahead,” she said.

“A small coterie colluded against me hoping to sabotage my work, to wear me down and dissuade me from continuing.”

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Liberal MPs have entrusted Sussan Ley with the party’s recovery after one of the worst election results in its 80-year history.

It’s hoped her life of unusual breadth and a respect for opponents’ opinions may help her engage Australians turned off by the party’s conservative male leaders.

Read Aaron Patrick’s analysis of how Ms Ley won over her opponents and became the Liberal Party’s first female leader.

“I want to say right here and now we need more women in our party,” Ms Ley said.

“We need more women and applied organisations.

“Our fortunes when it comes to electoral defeat, unfortunately, mean we lose strong women.

“(At) the end of the last election, there was a review done extremely well by my colleague Jane Hume and it went to state divisions.

“I will certainly re-engage with all of those different organisations within the party to absolutely understand how we can improve that trajectory of women.”

Ms Ley has clarified for the record that she supports live sheep export.

“With respect to the live sheep export debate, I did address this very much when I became deputy. I’m very happy to do so again,” she said.

“My position on the trade is that it should continue. It is safe. It is reliable.

“It meets the animal welfare standards that it should.

“In discussing the live sheep trade with the West Australians after I became deputy and travelled over, I met individually with farmers, with representatives of the pastoral industry, and WA farmers, and I assured them of my stance.

“They would remember those conversations. I can assure them that my position remains the same.”

Opposition Leader has shot down an attempt to put words in her mouth about net zero.

“We need to reduce emissions in this country, and Australia needs to play its part in reducing emissions. That, I absolutely sign up to,” Ms Ley said.

“We also know that, if we don’t do energy policy well, we can crash the energy grid.

“We can cripple Australian manufacturing. We can’t have a situation where sovereign manufacturing capability in this country is going out the door backwards, or going overseas - which is what I have seen under Mr Albanese’s Government.

“So, we have to get energy policy as a whole right. But we have to recognise that we need a strong country that is committed to a manufacturing base that relies on cheap, reliable enery.”

When a reporter then suggested Ms Ley was ready to walk away from net zero, Ms Ley fired back saying: “You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“No policies have been adopted or walked away from at this time.”

Asked on her position on nuclear, Ms Ley said she would make “no captain’s calls”, instead, taking time to “get it right”.

“Here in this party room only a couple of hours ago, I committed to my colleagues that there would be no captain’s calls from anywhere by me,” she said.

“I also committed to the discussions that I had with them this week that we would work through every single policy issue and canvas the different views and take the time to get it right.

“You might hear me saying, ‘Take the time to get it right’ quite a lot this morning. Because that’s really important.

“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.”

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley paused before taking questions to reveal her mother is receiving end-of-life care, explaining after the press conference, she would be returning to her bedside.

“I want to acknowledge my mum, Angela, in Albury,” Ms Ley said.

“My mum is very sick and, on Mother’s Day, before I came up here, I called in to see her and I thought that it might be the last time that I did.

“She is in end-of-life care and this week has been tough because I’ve kept in touch with her and her medical team and my family, and I just wanted to mention my mum this morning.

“I know you’ll understand that after I’ve taken all of your questions exhaustively, I will be heading home to be by her side.

“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.

“So, thank you, mum.”

Ms Ley detailed her journey from being “a farmer’s wife” and raising three children to Canberra.

The Opposition Leader revealed that draught and “tough times” led her back to studies, which eventually saw her walk into Parliament House as a Liberal.

Ms Ley credited her time amongst the people, towing a caravan around rural Australia, speaking about economics and tariffs, as a reason she understands Australians.

“I knew that nobody in Canberra understood what life was like in the small rural community where I came from,” Ms Ley said.

“That fired my determination to walk into the Government party room, led by John Howard in 2001.

“I am, as I said, incredibly grateful for what the Liberal Party has given me, and everything that I am as I stand before you today is reflected by the party that has been part of, well, over half of my adult life.”

“My story is a migrant story,” Ms Ley said.

“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.

“When I came to this country as a young girl from a cold English boarding school in my teenage years, I stepped out of the aeroplane at Brisbane Airport and I looked at this brilliant blue sky and I knew that I’d come to the best country on Earth.

“I knew that Australia was a place where I could dream my biggest dreams - and I have.

“I’ve never stopped feeling grateful for this country, for what it has given me.”

“I want to do things differently, and we have to have a fresh approach,” Ms Ley said.

“I want to harness the talents of every single person in our party room going forward to develop the clear, articulate policy agenda that does meet Australians where they are.

“To develop robust policy processes, to value those contributions - and I can’t wait to get started, along with Ted, on that important task.

“I want to talk a little bit about me.

“I want to talk about my views of the Liberal Party, because the Liberal Party has shaped the person that I am today.”