Australia’s Liberal Party has for the first time chosen a woman as its leader, with Sussan Ley to take over from Peter Dutton after he led the party to a bruising election loss.
Ley, from the moderate faction of the party, beat Angus Taylor – who ran on a promise to restore conservative values – by four votes.
At the election on 3 May, the Liberal-National coalition, currently Australia’s main opposition party, suffered what many are calling the worst defeat in its history.
Pundits and MPs have blamed the result on polarising leaders, a messy campaign and “Trumpian” policies, which alienated women and young people in particular.
Ley’s appointment comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was sworn in at Government House on Tuesday, following his Labor Party’s landslide election win.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Labor has won at least 93 seats – increasing their majority by 16 – while the Coalition has 42 electorates, down from 58. Some seats are still too close to call.
Ley has held the massive regional New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001 and has served as a senior minister in a variety of portfolios – making her one of the Liberal Party’s most experienced hands. She was also the party deputy under Dutton.
Ted O’Brien, a Queensland MP who was the energy spokesman in charge of selling the coalition’s controversial nuclear power proposal, was elected Ley’s deputy.
Ley said she wanted to help the party rebuild its relationship with Australians – particularly the women and young people who felt they’d been neglected.
“We have to have a Liberal Party that respects modern Australia, that reflects modern Australia, and that represents modern Australia. And we have to meet the people where they are,” she said.
She told reporters the party’s loss would be subject to a review – as would all of its policies, including its position on nuclear and its net zero emissions goal.
“I want to do things differently, and we have to have a fresh approach,” she said.
“I committed to my colleagues that there would be no captain’s calls from anywhere by me… that we would work through every single policy issue and canvas the different views and take the time to get it right.”
In a statement after the leadership vote, unsuccessful contender Taylor congratulated Ley and called for unity.
“Sussan has led a remarkable life and becoming the first woman to lead the Liberal Party is a milestone for Sussan and our party,” he said.
The junior coalition partner, the Nationals, re-elected leader David Littleproud on Monday, after he too was challenged by a hard line conservative colleague.
Albanese’s new cabinet was also sworn in on Tuesday.
The biggest changes include former Labor deputy Tanya Plibersek swapping from the environment portfolio to social services, and former communications minister Michelle Rowland becoming attorney general.
Former Attorney General Mark Dreyfus and Ed Husic – the first Muslim to become an Australian government minister – were both removed from the frontbench.
“I have got people who are, I think, in the best positions and that’s across the board,” Albanese said when announcing the positions on Monday.
By BBC News
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