Sussan Ley

The Honourable
Sussan Ley
MP
The Honourable Sussan Ley MP
	Ley in 2021
Leader of the Opposition
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 13 May 2025
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Deputy	Ted O'Brien
Preceded by	Peter Dutton
16th Leader of the Liberal Party
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 13 May 2025
Deputy	Ted O'Brien
Preceded by	Peter Dutton
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
	In office; 30 May 2022 – 13 May 2025
Leader	Peter Dutton
Preceded by	Richard Marles
Succeeded by	Ted O'Brien
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
	In office; 30 May 2022 – 13 May 2025
Leader	Peter Dutton; Herself (acting)
Preceded by	Josh Frydenberg
Succeeded by	Ted O'Brien
Prime Minister
Ministerial offices 2013–⁠2022
Minister for the Environment
	In office; 29 May 2019 – 23 May 2022
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Melissa Price
Succeeded by	Tanya Plibersek
Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories
	In office; 26 August 2018 – 26 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Nola Marino
Minister for Health
	In office; 23 December 2014 – 13 January 2017
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott; Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Peter Dutton
Succeeded by	Greg Hunt
Minister for Sport
	In office; 23 December 2014 – 13 January 2017
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott; Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Peter Dutton
Succeeded by	Greg Hunt
Minister for Aged Care
	In office; 30 September 2015 – 13 January 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Christian Porter
Succeeded by	Ken Wyatt ; (as Assistant Minister for Health and Minister for Indigenous Health and Aged Care)
Assistant Minister for Education
	In office; 18 September 2013 – 23 December 2014
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott
Preceded by	Kate Ellis
Succeeded by	Simon Birmingham
Member of the Australian Parliament; for Farrer
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 10 November 2001
Preceded by	Tim Fischer
Personal details
Born	Susan Penelope Braybrooks; 14 December 1961 (age 63); Kano, Northern Region, Nigeria
Political party	Liberal (since 1994)
Spouse	John Ley (m. 1987; div. 2004)
Children	3
Residence(s)	Albury, New South Wales, Australia
Alma mater	La Trobe University; University of New South Wales; Charles Sturt University
Occupation	Aircraft pilot, taxation officer
Website	sussanley.com

Sussan Penelope Ley (pron. /ˈsuːzən ˈliː/, "Susan Lee";^[1] née Susan Penelope Braybrooks; born 14 December 1961) is an Australian politician who is the current Leader of the Opposition and leader of the Liberal Party since May 2025,^[2] being the first woman to hold either role. Prior to assuming the party leadership, she was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and deputy leader of the Liberal Party. Ley served as a cabinet minister in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments. She also served as a parliamentary secretary in the final term of the Howard government.

Ley was born in Nigeria to English parents and grew up in the United Arab Emirates and England before moving to Australia as a teenager. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a commercial pilot, farmer and public servant based in Albury, New South Wales. She was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2001 federal election representing the regional New South Wales division of Farrer.

In the Abbott and Turnbull governments, Ley held the ministerial portfolios of Assistant Minister for Education (2013–2014), Minister for Health (2014–2016), Sport (2014–2017), Aged Care (2015–2016), and Health and Aged Care (2016–2017). She resigned from the ministry in January 2017 following a controversy over her travel expense claims, but returned in August 2018 when Scott Morrison succeeded Malcolm Turnbull as prime minister. She subsequently served as Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories (2018–2019) and Minister for the Environment prior to the government's defeat at the 2022 federal election. Following the 2025 federal election, Ley became the acting leader of the Liberal Party^[3]^[4] and won the subsequent Liberal leadership election to become leader of the Liberal Party and therefore Leader of the Opposition.^[2]

Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

^ Climate Adaptation Summit (29 January 2021). "Sussan Ley (Australia) - message during #AdaptationSummit 2021 (Climate Adaptation Summit)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b Truu, Maani (13 May 2025). "Sussan Ley becomes first woman to lead Liberal Party". ABC News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
^ Crowley, Tom (4 May 2025). "No clear favourite as Liberals weigh Dutton successor". ABC News. Retrieved 4 May 2025.
^ Cite error: The named reference ActingLeader was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Climate Adaptation Summit (29 January 2021). "Sussan Ley (Australia) - message during #AdaptationSummit 2021 (Climate Adaptation Summit)". YouTube. Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2022.

[:1-3] Truu, Maani (13 May 2025). "Sussan Ley becomes first woman to lead Liberal Party". ABC News. Retrieved 13 May 2025.

[DuttonSuccessor-4] Crowley, Tom (4 May 2025). "No clear favourite as Liberals weigh Dutton successor". ABC News. Retrieved 4 May 2025.

[ActingLeader-5] Cite error: The named reference ActingLeader was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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