Daughter of a British intelligence officer could soon lead the Liberals

For nan past 3 years, Sussan Ley served arsenic lawman guidance leader nether Peter Dutton. Now she's confirmed she wants to switch him.

Ley is bidding to go nan adjacent leader of nan Liberal Party and Australia's first-ever female guidance leader, pursuing Peter Dutton's ousting from nan spot of Dickson.

What do we cognize astir nan female who has spent 3 years arsenic deputy guidance leader and is now serving arsenic acting leader of nan Liberal Party?

Born successful Nigeria successful 1961, Ley was only a twelvemonth aged erstwhile her British intelligence serviceman begetter relocated nan family to nan United Arab Emirates for a posting.

She was raised location for a clip earlier being sent overseas to England, wherever she attended boarding schoolhouse until her family moved again, this clip to Australia.

Just 13 erstwhile she arrived astatine nan hobby workplace her parents had purchased successful Toowoomba, Queensland, Ley wasn't location for agelong earlier nan family settled decently successful Canberra.

There she immersed herself successful nan section replacement scene, embracing purple hairsbreadth and a punk style for years while her begetter worked for nan Australian Federal Police (AFP).

In her precocious teens, Ley sewage into numerology and subsequently decided to adhd an other 's' to her sanction (from Susan to Sussan).

"I publication astir this numerology mentation that if you adhd nan numbers that lucifer nan letters successful your sanction you tin alteration your personality," she said successful a 2015 question and reply pinch The Australian.

"I worked retired that if you added an 's' I would person an incredibly exciting, absorbing life and thing would each beryllium boring. It's that simple."

She added that erstwhile she had changed her name, it was difficult to return nan other 's' distant truthful she kept it moreover aft her passion for numerology faded.

After graduating precocious school, Ley aspired to go 1 of Australia's first female commercialized pilots and moreover attained her license, but couldn't unafraid a occupation arsenic a commercialized pilot.

Eventually she landed a domiciled arsenic an emergency bush aviator successful Queensland, watching complete banal musters from nan air, and headed north.

That's really she met John Ley, whom she joined successful 1987 aft a fewer years moving arsenic a shearer's navigator (someone who specialises successful preparing meals for sheep shearers).

They settled connected his family workplace successful Victoria and had 3 children.

Ley worked successful wool and beef farming, past took up a occupation arsenic Director of Technical Training astatine nan Australian Taxation Office successful Albury earlier going into politics.

She was first elected to the House of Representatives for Farrer successful 2001 aft campaigning successful a painted bluish caravan and has held nan spot successful confederate New South Wales ever since.

Her electorate covers nan section authorities areas of Albury, Balranald, Berrigan, Carrathool, Greater Hume, Griffith, Hay, Murrumbidgee, Leeton, Murray River, Edward River, Federation, Narrandera, and Wentworth.

Ley holds a Bachelor of Economics from La Trobe University, Master of Accounting from Charles Sturt University, and Master of Taxation from University of New South Wales and put them to bully usage pinch nan Liberals.

She worked arsenic a parliamentary caput while John Howard was successful complaint and was elevated to adjunct curate nether Tony Abbott.

In 2014, she was promoted to furniture and became curate for wellness and sport.

When Malcolm Turnbull took agency nan pursuing year, she added aged attraction to her remit and was connected way to proceed climbing nan ranks until a contention successful 2017.

That twelvemonth Ley faced scrutiny for purchasing an almost $800,000 finance spot connected nan Gold Coast during a taxpayer-funded trip.

It sparked an investigation by nan Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and she had to measurement speech from her ministerial portfolios for a time, but returned to nan frontbench successful 2019 arsenic situation curate nether Scott Morrison.

When nan Liberal statement mislaid nan 2022 national election, Ley was elected unopposed arsenic lawman leader to Peter Dutton.

She was made Acting Leader of nan Liberal Party erstwhile Dutton was ousted from his spot of Dickson successful nan 2025 national election.

Now she faces a conflict for activity if she hopes to go nan first female leader of nan Liberals.

Treasury spokesperson Angus Taylor has confirmed he will beryllium throwing his chapeau successful nan ringing erstwhile nan statement picks a caller leader adjacent week.

Liberal statement chiefs confirmed coming they'll beryllium holding a statement room ballot to elite a caller leader adjacent Tuesday astatine 10am.

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