By Dominic Giannini and Kat Wong, AAP and Tanya Steele
Sussan Ley will face the monumental task of rebuilding the Liberal Party after being elected its first female leader with nuclear champion Ted O’Brien deputy.
Hailed as a new beginning for an opposition facing years in the wilderness, Sussan Ley has been congratulated by the Federal Member for Casey, Aaron Violi.
“I congratulate my colleague and friend Sussan Ley on being elected Leader of the Liberal Party and the first woman to lead our great party,” he said.
Mr Violi said Ms Ley has been a strong supporter of the community here in Casey, having visited many times to hear what matters to local families and small businesses.
“Sussan has visited in her capacity as Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business and Shadow Minister for Industry, Skills and Training,” he said.
“I know she understands the industries and issues that matter in our local community.”
The former Liberal deputy under Peter Dutton defeated former shadow treasurer Angus Taylor 29 votes to 25 in a partyroom ballot of 54 members on Tuesday 13 May in Canberra.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for Mr Taylor when he tried to enter the party room through a locked door before having to detour ahead of the vote by MPs and senators.
Outgoing West Australian Liberal senator Linda Reynolds told reporters as she left the meeting that the party had gotten the message from voters and acted.
“Australians spoke clearly and we listened,” Senator Reynolds said, acknowledging that the party had lost the support of many female voters at the May 3 election.
The Liberal leadership will need to contend with the Nationals as they work out the finer details of a new coalition agreement, especially after Nationals leader David Littleproud flagged that party’s commitment to a net-zero emissions target was up for review.
The climate policy clash risks opening up a schism within the coalition, with moderates angry that the party didn’t do enough on the issue and caused it to bleed voters in metropolitan seats.
The coalition holds 42 of 150 lower house seats, less than half of Labor’s 93, which has all but confirmed they’ll face at least three terms in opposition after losing power in 2022.
Of three seats yet to be called, the Liberals are ahead in two and Labor one, meaning there’s a chance of a slight improvement in the tally, but the coalition faces a Herculean task to win government in three years regardless.
“As a party, we now turn our focus to rebuilding,” said Mr Violi.
“It’s not just on the leader, it’s on us as a party to unify, make sure we support Sussan and put the right policies in place – and that comes about from listening to the Australian people,” he said.
