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

The Liberal Party has elected its first-ever female Federal Leader.

Not just a politician, Sussan Ley is also a mother, a grandmother and holds a pilot license as well as multiple degrees.

The member for Farrer, located in regional NSW, won the Liberal Party leadership battle on Tuesday against Angus Taylor, 29 to 25.

Ms Ley has worked as an air traffic controller, an aerial stock mustering pilot, a wool and beef farmer, as well as being a public servant.

The new Opposition Leader holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Masters in Tax and a Masters in Accounting from three separate universities.

In her political career, which began when she was elected back in 2001, Ms Ley has worked as a cabinet minister in Governments led by Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.

Ms Ley will now bring her extensive experience from within Government and attempt to rebuild the Liberal Party after an enormous loss in the 2025 Federal election under former Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Sussan Ley has made history to become the first female leader of the Federal Liberal Party after a ballot of MPs in Canberra on Tuesday morning.

Ms Ley defeated Angus Taylor in the contest to be Opposition leader, taking the place of Peter Dutton after he lost his seat of Dickson at the May 3 election.

Ms Ley had been the party’s deputy leader for the past three years.

Going in to the party room meeting, the Liberals were anticipating a tight contest but sources said Ms Ley had the edge.

They were cautious that a tight result might not be the best outcome for the party, which was already destabilised by a devastating election loss.

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The Liberal Party has confirmed its new leader and deputy leader.

“The new leadership of the Liberal Party will be talking to the media later on today, so please don’t ask me questions, our job is to give you the results,” Melissa Price said outside the party room.

“The Liberal Party has met and we have determined that the new leader of our Liberal Party is Sussan Ley with 29 votes and Angus Taylor 25.”

Wendy Askew then confirmed the party’s new deputy.

“In relation to the Deputy Leader’s position, we had two nominees, both Ted O’Brien and Phil Thompson, the result of that ballot was 38 - Ted O’Brien and 16 - Phil Thompson,” she said.

“They will be our leadership team.”

BREAKING: Sussan Ley has won the Liberal leadership ballot 29 to 25.

More to come...

As the party room meets, Liberal senator James McGrath has released a letter he wrote to his colleagues earlier on Tuesday, calling for a commission to examine and overhaul their party.

“Everyone needs to accept we are all in this together and we need to work as a team to rebuild an election-winning Party,” he wrote.

“Stop playing games. We are a political party not the toy section of Big W.”

He warns that Australians under 40, particularly women, aren’t just not voting for the Liberals, they aren’t listening to them.

“In the black hole of Opposition, we do not have much, but we do have time, and we should use the coming years to work on the rebuild. Before things get worse, they can always get worse,” he said.

Sussan Ley entered the party room alone, telling waiting media, “I’m looking forward to a Liberal Party party room.”

Angus Taylor entered the party room without walking past the media.

He tried to enter through a locked door before finding the right one.

Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has entered the Liberals party room for the first time after she defected from the National Party.

The Liberals have now entered the party room and will now elect a new leader.

The battle takes place while Labor MPs are gathered at Government House where they are being sworn in by Governor General Sam Mostyn.

Mr Littleproud indicated he would be pushing for more shadow ministries now that the Nationals proportionately had more members.

“That comes automatically with the structured process and a coalition agreement we have, it’s predicated. It’s pure arithmetic,” he said.

Mr Littleproud also confirmed he was ready to work with Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who switched to the Liberals party from the Nationals after the May 3 poll and who is now running on a joint leadership ticket with Angus Taylor.

“The reality is that her ambitions exceed what the National Party can provide. You can’t be the prime minister in the National Party. I accept that. We’re deeply disappointed, but we’ll work through that process.”

The Nationals party room will determine if they remain in the formal alliance with the Liberals, newly elected Nationals leader David Littleproud said on Tuesday, adding that “everything’s on the table.”

Asked on ABC Radio National if the alliance would hold after the resounding election defeat, Mr Littleproud said it was not his decision alone.

“Everything’s on the table, but we’ve been together for over 100 years,” he said.

“That’ll be a determination of my party room. It’s not a unilateral decision. My leadership style is not one for me to make unilateral decisions.

“I like to draw on the collective wisdom of my party room, because I think that gets better decisions, better outcomes for our party.”

Anthony Albanese has been officially sworn back in as prime minister ahead of his new ministry taking up their fresh jobs.

Under protocol, the Prime Minister had to tender his resignation to Governor-General Sam Mostyn to mark the election’s conclusion.

She then reswore him in and held an executive council meeting with Mr Albanese and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher to approve his recommendations for the ministry.

The rest of the ministry will be sworn in this morning at the Governor-General’s residence in Yarralumla in Canberra.

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