Sussan Ley becomes first woman to lead Liberal PartyBy political reporter Maani TruuTopic:Elections2h ago2 hours agoTue 13 May 2025 at 12:20amLoading...In short:Sussan Ley has been appointed leader of the Liberal Party in a tight partyroom ballot, edging out Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor 29 votes to 25.She is the first woman to hold the position in the party's history.What's next?The new leader will soon decide on her frontbench as she faces the mammoth task of uniting the party after a bruising federal election result.abc.net.au/news/liberal-party-new-leader-sussan-ley/105285148Link copiedShareShare articleSussan Ley will be the new Liberal leader, beating conservative rival Angus Taylor to become the first woman to lead the federal party in its 80-year history.The 63-year-old former deputy leader, who was backed by the moderate faction, received 29 partyroom votes compared to Treasury spokesperson Mr Taylor's 25.Ted O'Brien, who was most recently the party's energy spokesperson and one of the key architects of the Coalition's nuclear plan, will take the role of deputy leader, defeating Phil Thompson in the ballot 38–16.Federal politics live updates: Get the latest on the post-election landscapeLive results: Find out what's happening in your seat as counting continuesIn a statement a short time after the vote, Mr Taylor congratulated Ms Ley and said his competitor's success was a milestone for the party, which needed to come together."The Liberal Party has suffered a historic defeat, and we have lost many good people in this election," he said."This result shows we must do more to convince Australians that the Coalition is the best party to support aspiration, economic opportunity, and the Australian dream."Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price did not contest the deputy leadership ballot as anticipated after it was clear Mr Taylor had not won.The outspoken Northern Territory politician sensationally defected from the Nationals days after the federal election to join his ticket. The move was seen by some in the party as a power grab to boost Mr Taylor's chances."While the outcome today is not the one that I would have wanted, it in no way lessens my commitment to the Liberal Party and the broader Coalition," she said in a statement. Angus Taylor. (ABC News: Nick Haggarty)Ley tasked with uniting fractured partyMs Ley now faces the mammoth task of uniting the party after a landslide Labor election victory that saw former Liberal leader Peter Dutton ousted from his own seat.Both candidates for leader were senior members of Mr Dutton's team and, therefore, are closely associated with the failure of the Liberal campaign.The Coalition currently holds just 42 seats in the House of Representatives compared to the government's 93, with three electorates still too close to call.Ms Ley pitched herself as the more centrist option, declaring ahead of the vote that the party needed to "reflect a modern Liberal Party" and that appointing her as leader would "send a strong signal to the women of Australia"."We did let the women of Australia down," she said. "We have to understand why people didn't support us, that they weren't inspired by our policy offerings, and that they didn't believe we were the best choice to lead the country forward."Peter Dutton with Sussan Ley on the campaign trail in Aston. (ABC News: Matt Roberts)Following the ballot, former speaker Andrew Wallance rejected the idea that Ms Ley's appointment was just about sending a message to women."Sussan is a woman with 24 years' experience in this place, and I think nothing beats experience," he said."If you're asking me was that the sole reason [to elect her as leader], absolutely not. Absolutely not."Outgoing Liberal senator Linda Reynolds said she was "delighted" with the result of the ballot, characterising it as a response to the election thumping. "Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal Party. We've listened and we've acted. And we're united," she said.Ms Ley will also have to work with an emboldened National Party, which largely held on to its seats as the Liberal Party went backwards.Election fallout and analysis:'Third party' vote looks set to beat CoalitionLabor win turns sour as the bloody realpolitik takes centre stageIn Australia, the conclaves continue for the top job in politicsWant even more? Here's where you can find all our 2025 federal election coverageCatch the latest interviews and in-depth coverage on ABC iview and ABC ListenNationals leader David Littleproud was re-elected in a partyroom vote on Monday, fending off a challenge from right-wing senator Matt Canavan.The new Liberal leader has held the regional New South Wales electorate of Farrer for more than two decades, during which time she has served in a long list of senior positions in the party, including in cabinet during the Morrison era.A veteran politician, she had been the environment minister, health and aged care minister, and sport minister, before rising to the deputy leadership.She resigned from the frontbench in 2017 during a travel expenses scandal and after coming under fire for buying a luxury Gold Coast apartment while on a taxpayer funded trip.Posted 2h ago2 hours agoTue 13 May 2025 at 12:20am, updated 4m ago4 minutes agoTue 13 May 2025 at 2:32amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Top StoriesSussan Ley is the new leader of the Liberal Party, Ted O'Brien is deputy LIVEPhoto shows Susan Ley talks while standing behind a lectern. 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