Ministerial positions 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 64)
Kano, Nigeria

Political party

Liberal

Other political
affiliations

Coalition

Spouse

John Ley

(m. 1987; div. 2004)

Children

Residences

Albury, New South Wales, Australia

Alma mater

La Trobe University
University of New South Wales
Charles Sturt University

Occupation

Aircraft pilot, taxation officer

Sussan Ley (born Susan Penelope Braybrooks on 14 December 1961) is an Australian politician. She was the leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition from May 2025 to February 2026. She was the first woman to hold these important roles.

Ms Ley has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Farrer in New South Wales since 2001. Before becoming a leader, she held several important jobs as a minister in different Australian governments.

Sussan Ley was born in Nigeria to English parents. She lived in the United Arab Emirates and England before her family moved to Australia as a teenager. Before entering politics, she worked as a pilot, a farmer, and a public servant in Albury, New South Wales. She was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2001.

After the government changed in 2022, Ms Ley became the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. In May 2025, she became the Leader of the Opposition. Her time as leader ended in February 2026 after a vote within her party. She has announced her plan to retire from politics soon, which will mean a new election for her seat.

Early Life and Education
Political Career
Opposition and Leadership Roles
- Becoming Leader of the Opposition (2025)
- End of Leadership (2026)
Political Views
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Sussan Ley was born Susan Penelope Braybrooks on 14 December 1961 in Kano, Nigeria. Her family moved to the United Arab Emirates when she was one year old. Her father worked there with the local leaders.

She attended boarding school in England until she was 13. Then, her family moved to Australia. They first lived in Toowoomba, Queensland, and later in Canberra. Sussan went to Campbell High School and Dickson College in Canberra.

After school, she changed her name from Susan to Sussan. She later said she did this as a teenager to be a bit rebellious.

Sussan Ley married and had three children. She studied economics at La Trobe University. She then worked at the Australian Taxation Office in Albury from 1995 to 2001. While working, she earned master's degrees in tax law and accountancy from Charles Sturt University. She also worked as a commercial pilot and a cook for sheep shearers.

Political Career

Sussan Ley joined the Liberal Party in 1994. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2001. She won the seat of Farrer in New South Wales. She won by a small number of votes.

Serving in the Howard Government (2001–2007)

In the government led by Prime Minister John Howard, Ms Ley held roles as Parliamentary Secretary for Children and Youth Affairs (starting 2004) and for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (starting 2006). These roles involved helping with government policies in these areas.

Working in Opposition (2007–2013)

When her party was not in government, Ms Ley served as a Shadow Minister. She worked on topics like housing, women's issues, customs, justice, and employment. Shadow Ministers study the government's work and suggest different ideas.

Roles in Abbott and Turnbull Governments (2013–2018)

Sussan Ley speaking in 2011

After her party won the election in 2013, Ms Ley became the Assistant Minister for Education. She helped with childcare policies. In 2014, she was promoted to a senior role in the government's main team, called the Cabinet. She became the Minister for Health and Minister for Sport.

In 2015, she also became the Minister for Aged Care. This role focused on services for older people.

In January 2017, there were questions about some of Ms Ley's travel expenses. She decided to step aside from her ministerial roles while an investigation took place. Later, she resigned from the ministry. Greg Hunt took over her roles.

Serving in the Morrison Government (2018–2022)

Ms Ley returned to a ministerial role in August 2018. She became the Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories. In May 2019, she became the Minister for the Environment. This job involved protecting Australia's natural places and wildlife.

In March 2022, a court case looked at whether she had a duty to consider climate change when approving coal mines. She successfully appealed a ruling on this. Also in 2022, she approved changes to plans for protecting endangered animals and their homes. This decision was made despite many people disagreeing with it.

Opposition and Leadership Roles

Sussan Ley as Environment Minister in 2021

After her party lost the 2022 election, Ms Ley was chosen as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party. This meant she was the second-in-command.

In July 2022, the new Environment Minister said that Ms Ley, as the previous minister, had not shared a report about the poor health of Australia's environment. This report was given to the government in December 2021.

In August 2022, Ms Ley made comments about electric vehicles, saying that electric utility vehicles (utes) were not yet available in Australia. She later clarified that she meant they were not yet widely available or affordable for rural areas.

In March 2023, Ms Ley dressed up as Tina Turner in Parliament to help raise money for cancer research.

Becoming Leader of the Opposition (2025)

After the 2025 federal election, the previous Liberal Party leader, Peter Dutton, lost his seat. This made Sussan Ley the acting leader. She then won a vote within her party to become the official leader. She was the first woman to lead the Liberal Party and to be the Leader of the Opposition at the federal level in Australia.

In May 2025, the Liberal and National parties had some disagreements and temporarily separated. They later agreed to work together again. Ms Ley then chose her team of Shadow Ministers. Ted O'Brien became her Deputy Leader.

During her time as leader, Ms Ley faced challenges. Some members of her team resigned due to disagreements on policy. The party also saw a drop in public support.

End of Leadership (2026)

In February 2026, Ms Ley faced increasing criticism. Angus Taylor resigned from her Shadow Ministry. Following this, a vote was called to decide the party's leader. On 13 February 2026, Angus Taylor won this vote, becoming the new leader of the Liberal Party.

Ms Ley's leadership lasted 276 days, making it one of the shortest in the party's history. After the vote, she announced her plan to resign from Parliament. This will lead to a special election for her seat in Farrer.

Political Views

Sussan Ley is part of the moderate group within the Liberal Party. She believes in Australia becoming a republic, meaning it would have an Australian head of state instead of the British monarch. She also supported legalising same-sex marriage in 2017.

Ms Ley has spoken about international issues. In 2011, she supported the idea of Palestine joining the United Nations. However, after a trip to Israel in 2022, she said her views had changed. As Opposition Leader in 2025, she stated that her party would not recognise a Palestinian state if they won government.

In 2018, Ms Ley wanted to ban the live export of sheep. However, in 2023, she changed her mind and supported the industry. She also supported the "No" vote in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum.

Ms Ley has shown support for Elon Musk. In 2025, she compared the British settlement of Australia to Musk's plans for space travel. In 2024, she said she was "disappointed" in Musk but supported Australia's eSafety Commissioner in enforcing online laws.

After a serious security event in December 2025, Ms Ley delayed releasing her party's new migration policy. She focused instead on national security and fighting extremism. She has suggested that Australia's permanent migration numbers should be lower.

Personal Life

Sussan Ley met John Ley while working with livestock from the air in Queensland. They married in 1987 and had three children before they divorced in 2004. Ms Ley has several grandchildren. She lives in Albury, New South Wales.

She is a vegetarian and supports the Sydney Swans Australian rules football team. Her mother, Angela Braybrooks, passed away in May 2025.