Ley, 63, who is the Liberal Party’s first female leader, said she thought Mother’s Day on Sunday may have been the last time she saw her mum, Angela.

The mother of three, who has six grandchildren, said her mother lives in Albury close to the NSW-Victorian border.

“My mum is gravely ill, and on Mother’s Day, before heading here, I visited her, fearing it might be my last opportunity to do so,” she shared.

“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.

“I just wanted to mention my mum this morning.”

She said after what was her first press conference as leader, she’d be heading to see her mother again.

She mentioned that her mother was raised in Britain during the war, and stated, ”The resilience, self-reliance, and persistence I embody today stem from her values.”

Ley represents the rural southern NSW electorate of Farrer.

She was deputy leader under Peter Dutton during the last parliamentary term.

Ley was born in Nigeria and after living in the United Arab Emirates and the UK, moved to Australia as a teenager.