The British Intelligence Officer’s Daughter May Soon Become Leader of the Liberal Party

For the last three years, Sussan Ley served as deputy opposition leader under Peter Dutton. Now she’s confirmed she wants to replace him.

Ley is vying to become the leader of the Liberal Party and aim for the historical milestone of being Australia’s first female opposition leader, after Peter Dutton was unseated from his Dickson post.

What do we know about the woman who has spent three years as deputy opposition leader and is now serving as acting leader of the Liberal Party?

She initially secured her position in the House of Representatives for Farrer in 2001, after a distinctive campaign using a blue caravan, and has represented the southern New South Wales area ever since.

Her constituency encompasses the local government regions of Albury, Balranald, Berrigan, Carrathool, Greater Hume, Griffith, Hay, Murrumbidgee, Leeton, Murray River, Edward River, Federation, Narrandera, and Wentworth.

Ley holds a Bachelor of Economics from La Trobe University, Master of Accounting from Charles Sturt University, and Master of Taxation from University of New South Wales and put them to good use with the Liberals.

She worked as a parliamentary secretary while John Howard was in charge and was elevated to assistant minister under Tony Abbott.

In 2014, she was promoted to cabinet and became minister for health and sport.

When Malcolm Turnbull took office the following year, she added aged care to her remit and was on track to continue climbing the ranks until a controversy in 2017.

That year Ley faced scrutiny for purchasing an almost $800,000 investment property on the Gold Coast during a taxpayer-funded trip.

It sparked an investigation by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and she had to step aside from her ministerial portfolios for a time, but returned to the frontbench in 2019 as environment minister under Scott Morrison.

When the Liberal party lost the 2022 federal election, Ley was elected unopposed as deputy leader to Peter Dutton.

She was made Acting Leader of the Liberal Party when Dutton was ousted from his seat of Dickson in the 2025 federal election.

Now she faces a battle for leadership if she hopes to become the first female leader of the Liberals.

Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor has confirmed he will be throwing his hat in the ring when the party picks a new leader next week.

Liberal party chiefs confirmed today they’ll be holding a party room ballot to elect a new leader next Tuesday at 10am.