7am Can Sussan Ley rebuild the Coalition?
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May 14, 2025 
Karen Barlow, the Chief Political Correspondent for The Saturday Paper, discusses Sussan Ley's challenging leap to leadership of the Coalition after a historic electoral defeat. Ley is tasked with uniting a divided party and revitalizing its platform to attract city women and younger voters. Barlow explores Ley's unique journey as a migrant and the ideological rifts within the party, along with the dynamics of her confrontational style against Anthony Albanese. Economic challenges and recent news also weigh on Ley’s strategies moving forward.
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Susan Ley's Historic Leadership
- Susan Ley is the first female and first regional MP leader of the Liberal Party since Malcolm Fraser.
- She emphasizes listening, humility, and a fresh, consultative approach to unite the party post-defeat.
Susan Ley's Diverse Background
- Susan Ley was born in Nigeria and moved to Australia as a teenager, seeing it as a land of opportunity.
- She has a diverse background including flying small aircraft and punk rock in the 1980s before a 24-year political career.
Ley's Moderate Position Challenges
- Ley is a moderate in a party room that leans increasingly hard right.
- Her initial challenge is to unify the Coalition while managing ideological divides and assembling her shadow cabinet carefully.