Sussan Ley

**Sussan Penelope Ley** (pron. ; ; born 14 December 1961) is an Australian politician who has been the Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2025 until 2026. She is the first woman to hold both roles.

Ley is a member of the Liberal Party and has served as member of parliament (MP) for the New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001. In 2022, she was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and became Deputy Opposition Leader.

She was a cabinet minister in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments.

## Early life

Ley was born in Kano, Nigeria to English parents. She grew up in the United Arab Emirates and England before moving to Australia as a teenager.

## Political career

She was the 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.

She was the Minister for the Environment before the Morrison government's defeat at the 2022 federal election.

## Leader of the Opposition (2025–2026)

Ley became acting leader of the Liberal Party after the 2025 federal election in which party leader Peter Dutton lost re-election for his seat of Dickson.

Ley was elected as the party and Coalition's new leader, and therefore as the new Leader of the Opposition, when she defeated conservative opponent Angus Taylor by 29 votes to 25 in the subsequent leadership election.  Ley made history as the first woman elected to lead the Liberals, the Coalition or serve as Leader of the Opposition. Ley is also the oldest first-time Leader of the Opposition since Arthur Calwell became opposition leader in 1960.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **embed**: yes
- **office2**: Minister for the Environment (Australia), Minister for the Environment
- **primeminister2**: Scott Morrison
- **term start2**: 29 May 2019
- **term end2**: 23 May 2022
- **predecessor2**: Melissa Price (politician), Melissa Price
- **successor2**: Tanya Plibersek
- **office3**: Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories
- **primeminister3**: Scott Morrison
- **term start3**: 26 August 2018
- **term end3**: 26 May 2019
- **predecessor3**: _Office established_
- **successor3**: Nola Marino
- **office4**: Minister for Health (Australia), Minister for Health
- **primeminister4**: Tony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
- **term start4**: 23 December 2014
- **term end4**: 13 January 2017
- **predecessor4**: Peter Dutton
- **successor4**: Greg Hunt
- **office5**: Minister for Sport (Australia), Minister for Sport
- **primeminister5**: Tony Abbott
Malcolm Turnbull
- **term start5**: 23 December 2014
- **term end5**: 13 January 2017
- **predecessor5**: Peter Dutton
- **successor5**: Greg Hunt
- **office6**: Minister for Health and Aged Care#List of ministers for aged care, Minister for Aged Care
- **primeminister6**: Malcolm Turnbull
- **term start6**: 30 September 2015
- **term end6**: 13 January 2017
- **predecessor6**: Christian Porter
- **successor6**: Ken Wyatt

- **office7**: Minister for Education and Training#List of assistant ministers, Assistant Minister for Education
- **primeminister7**: Tony Abbott
- **term start7**: 18 September 2013
- **term end7**: 23 December 2014
- **predecessor7**: Kate Ellis (politician), Kate Ellis
- **successor7**: Simon Birmingham


## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Honourable
- **name**: Sussan Ley
- **honorific-suffix**: Australian House of Representatives, MP
- **image**: Sussan Ley (Sept 21) (cropped).png
- **caption**: Ley in 2021
- **office**: Leader of the Opposition (Australia), Leader of the Opposition
- **primeminister**: Anthony Albanese
- **deputy**: Ted O'Brien (Australian politician), Ted O'Brien
- **term start**: 13 May 2025
- **term end**: 13 February 2026
- **predecessor**: Peter Dutton
- **successor**: Angus Taylor
- **order1**: 16th
- **office1**: Leader of the Liberal Party of AustraliaLeader of the Liberal Party
- **deputy1**: Ted O'Brien
- **term start1**: Acting: 3–13 May 2025
13 May 2025
- **term end1**: 13 February 2026
- **predecessor1**: Peter Dutton
- **successor1**: Angus Taylor
- **office2**: Leader of the Opposition (Australia)#List of deputy leaders of the opposition, Deputy Leader of the Opposition
- **leader2**: Peter Dutton
- **term start2**: 30 May 2022
- **term end2**: 13 May 2025
- **predecessor2**: Richard Marles
- **successor2**: Ted O'Brien
- **office3**: Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia#Federal deputy leaders, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party
- **leader3**: Peter Dutton
_Herself_ (acting)
- **term start3**: 30 May 2022
- **term end3**: 13 May 2025
- **predecessor3**: Josh Frydenberg
- **successor3**: Ted O'Brien
- **parliament10**: Australian
- **predecessor10**: Tim Fischer
- **term start10**: 10 November 2001
- **birth name**: Susan Penelope Braybrooks
- **birth place**: Kano (city), Kano, then part of the Federation of Nigeria
- **nationality**: Australian
- **children**: 3
- **party**: Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal
- **residence**: Albury, New South Wales
- **alma mater**: La Trobe University
University of New South Wales
Charles Sturt University
- **occupation**: Aircraft pilot, taxation officer
- **otherparty**: Coalition (Australia), Liberal–National Coalition
- **office8**: Member of the Australian House of Representatives, Australian Parliament
for Division of Farrer, Farrer