While Sussan Ley is now the leader of the Liberal Party, she has been in politics for almost 25 years, and has had many adventures before that.
Find out everything you need to know about her below.
Where did Sussan Ley grow up?
Born in Kano, Nigeria, her father was a British Intelligence Officer, who was posted in the United Arab Emirates, before their family relocated to England, and then Australia.
She was only 13 when she came to Australia and was based on a hobby farm her parents bought in Toowoomba before her family settled down in Canberra.
While her father worked for the Australian Federal Police, Sussan embraced the punk and alternative music scene and even dyed her hair purple.
Why did Sussan Ley add an extra S to her name?
In 2015, The Australian reported that she fell in love with numerology later in her teen years and decided to add the extra ‘s’ to her name.
“I read about this numerology theory that if you add the numbers that match the letters in your name, you can change your personality,” she said.
“I worked out that if you added an ‘s’ I would have an incredibly exciting, interesting life and nothing would ever be boring. It’s that simple.”
Although she lost interest in numerology, she decided to keep the extra letter in her name.
How did Sussan Ley become the leader of the Liberal Party?
While she is now the leader of the Liberal Party, Sussan Ley’s career path has included more than just politics.
After school, she obtained her pilot’s license and worked in the public service, cleaning department stores and as a waitress to pay for her flying lessons.
She was also an air traffic controller, stock-mustering pilot, as a shearer’s cook, and wool and beef farmer. She also studied accounting and economics and then held a senior position at the Australian Taxation Office.
Before she got into federal politics in 2001, she converted her family caravan into her political campaign headquarters. From there, she was voted into the regional electorate of Farrer in New South Wales, which covers localities such as Albury, Leeton, Hay, Wentworth, Murrumbidgee, and Griffith.
Throughout her political career, she has also been the Minister for the Environment and worked across other portfolios.
She worked as a parliamentary secretary under John Howard and became Assistant Minister under Tony Abbott. The Opposition Leader was then promoted to cabinet in 2014 and became the Minister for Health and Sport.
Minister for Aged Care was then added to her resume under Malcolm Turnbull. Although she was taking on different roles, she generated controversy in 2017 when she purchased an $800,000 investment property on the Gold Coast while she was on a trip funded by taxpayers.
At the time, this sparked an investigation by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. She had to step aside from her ministerial portfolios for a time but returned in 2019 as the Environment Minister.
Fast forward to 2025, she was made Leader of the Liberal Party when Peter Dutton was ousted from his seat of Dickson in the federal election. She also won her Farrer seat, which she has held since 2001.
Along with being the new Leader of the Opposition, she is also the Shadow Minister of Industry, Skills and Training, the Shadow Minister for Women, and the Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business.
Is Sussan Ley married?
When she obtained her pilot’s license, she became an emergency pilot in Queensland, which is how she met her husband, John Ley.
They got married in 1987 and settled down on his family farm in Victoria before they divorced in 2004.
Does Sussan Ley have children?
Sussan Ley and her ex-husband John have three children together: Paul, Georgina, and Isabel.
The Liberal Party Leader is also a proud grandmother.
“A very special Mother’s Day with some of the most important people in my life. As I sit here this morning, I reflect on just how incredibly fortunate I am to have this beautiful family. To my three children and six grandchildren — thank you for inspiring me every single day,” she wrote on Instagram for Mother’s Day in 2025.
