Sussan Ley
Leader of the Opposition, Member for Farrer
“We will respect, reflect and represent modern Australia”
About Sussan
Sussan brings a depth of professional and life experience to the role.
Sussan migrated to Australia when she was thirteen years old. She has always felt grateful for the opportunities provided by this country.
She has worked as a cleaner, waitress and short order cook in shearing sheds, where she learned the value of a hard day’s work.
In her thirties, while raising young children, Sussan earned three degrees, including master’s degrees in accounting and tax law.
Sussan pursued her dream of flying and became an aerial stock mustering pilot.
She raised three children on a family farm during tough years, characterised by high interest rates and the wool floor price collapse.
After holding a senior position at the Australian Tax Office, Sussan entered parliament as the Member for Farrer in 2001.
Sussan’s experience includes serving in the Health, Aged Care, Environment, Education and Regional Development portfolios in government.
She was Deputy Liberal Leader between 2022 and 2025. Sussan’s pathway into politics came through identifying with the Liberal values of hard work, effort, reward and opportunity.
She is determined to build a future where young Australians can realise their dreams and where we build and reward aspiration.
The Latest From Sussan
Stay up to date with Sussan’s social content.
Today at Bondi, I met a community marked not just by grief, but by strength, dignity and solidarity. People came together to stand shoulder to shoulder, to comfort one another, and to show that hate will not break who we are.
I listened to parents, students, faith leaders and locals who are hurting deeply, yet resolute in their determination to support their neighbours and hold their community close. In the midst of profound loss, there was compassion, courage and a clear resolve to stand up for one another.
In this moment of shared grief, we stand with a community that has shown extraordinary strength.
We will do whatever it takes to press for the strongest possible action from government to keep Australians safe, to protect our Jewish community.
Many Australians have expressed their anger that antisemitism has been allowed to take hold in this country. There has been a clear failure of leadership to keep Australians safe, particularly members of the Jewish community.
For two years, criminal acts have been carried out openly and repeatedly. Public landmarks have been turned into symbols of hate. University campuses have been occupied and Jewish students ostracised. Homes have been vandalised. Childcare centres targeted. Synagogues firebombed, including attacks linked to foreign terrorist states.
Day after day, the lives of Jewish Australians have been made harder as this threat has grown.
ASIO has already warned that antisemitism represents the greatest risk of loss of life from terrorism in Australia. Those warnings were clear and they were public.
The Prime Minister previously said he will do whatever it takes. That means action and that must begin with fully implementing the government’s own Antisemitism Envoy’s report.
The Coalition stands ready to support any serious and decisive action to keep Australians safe.
This morning in Bondi, a community is grieving and searching for reassurance.
People are shaken, angry and exhausted. Many say they warned for years about rising antisemitism and feel those warnings were not taken seriously. Families are frightened and are looking to their leaders for action, not words.
Now is the time to confront antisemitism head on. That starts with fully implementing Jillian Segal’s report and making it clear that Australia’s Jewish community will be safe, respected and never left to stand alone.
The Prime Minister has said he will do whatever it takes to deal with antisemitism. That must now start with a clear commitment to implement his own Antisemitism Envoy’s report in full.
For two years, Jewish Australians have been warning that antisemitism is rising and that their lives have been made harder, day after day. Those warnings were not heeded.
We have seen criminal acts carried out repeatedly and in plain sight. Public landmarks turned into symbols of antisemitic hate. University campuses occupied and Jewish students ostracised. Homes vandalised. Childcare centres targeted. Synagogues firebombed, orchestrated by foreign terrorist states.
Everything must change from today in how governments respond. Antisemitism is not a problem to be managed. It is an evil that must be confronted and eradicated.
At Bondi Beach today, I walked and spoke with locals who are grieving, bewildered and deeply shaken.
Bondi is more than a place. It is a symbol of Australia. What happened here was not just an attack on individuals, or on one community. It was an attack on the values we share and on the sense of safety every Australian has a right to expect. The pain is real and it is palpable. So is the anger.
I heard from people who feel as though they are walking through a nightmare they cannot wake from. From parents, students and community leaders who have warned for months that antisemitism was rising and that it was being left to fester. Their worst fears have now been realised.
Today is about wrapping our arms around a community that is hurting. But it cannot end there. Antisemitism is not a problem to be managed. It is an evil that must be confronted and eradicated. Words have been spoken for too long. What Australians expect now is action, leadership and the resolve to ensure that our Jewish community is safe, respected and never left to stand alone.
Yesterday’s terror attack on Sydney’s Jewish community and on all Australians is a day that will be forever burned in the nation’s soul.
This was the darkest day Australia has faced since the Port Arthur Massacre in April 1996.
Bondi Beach is a symbol of Australia. These murders are a desecration against us all.
I acknowledge the swift and courageous response of New South Wales Police and paramedics, whose immediate action helped secure the scene, protect lives and support those caught up in this horrific attack.
I particularly recognise those who stepped into danger to help save lives, disarm the terrorists, and render first aid to the wounded.
We have all seen video footage of brave civilians, charging into danger in an effort to save lives. They are heroes.
I share the nation’s revulsion and horror as we continue listening to the sorrow and heartbreak in the testimonials we are hearing.
Chag Chanukah Sameach! Wishing Australia’s Jewish community a joyful and meaningful Chanukah.
A big week of celebrations for staff, students and families at Saint Mary MacKillop College in Jindera.
The school has topped the NAPLAN results for all secondary schools in the Riverina and officially opened its new Brennan Bishop Wing. It was a pleasure to join the community for this milestone and to see firsthand the benefits this investment will bring.
The project was backed by the Coalition Government in 2021 and delivers modern classrooms, a new administration building and important upgrades that will help local families.
I am always proud to support our local schools and the families who rely on them.
Anthony Albanese has once again failed the basic test of leadership.
Instead of standing up for taxpayers, he has closed ranks around a minister accused of wasting public money. When integrity is tested, this government reaches for the curtain every time, choosing secrecy over accountability.
Australians deserve a Prime Minister who protects them, not one who shields waste and excuses conduct that would see any other Australian held to account.
The Prime Minister must refer this matter to the head of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for a full investigation into whether his own ministerial code has been breached. And Anika Wells should stand aside while that investigation takes place.
Taxpayers deserve nothing less.
Great to join @marklevy2gb and his listeners for a live broadcast in Canley Vale this morning.
People in South West Sydney are feeling the cost-of-living pressures more than most. I heard it again today. Families are being squeezed by more taxes, higher power bills and the biggest drop in living standards in the developed world.
Australians deserve a plan that makes life easier. That means affordable energy, personal income tax cuts and responsible economic management.
We met James and Rebecca at their home in Woolooware this morning.
They’ve just started a small pool cleaning business and worked hard to buy a home for their young family. They are proud of what they have built and determined to keep moving forward, even as the price of everything keeps climbing.
Like so many families, they are doing everything they can to cut costs. They have put solar on the roof, tightened their budget and made smart choices, yet the bills still rise.
Hard working families should be able to get ahead, not go backwards.
Our plan puts affordable energy first and backs the people who keep this country moving.
