Sussan Ley, you’ve just made history! She is the first female leader of the federal Liberal Party, having triumphed over her right-wing opponent, Angus Taylor, in a narrow Liberals leadership contest. It was Ley’s 29 votes to Taylor’s 25, a sign of the party’s direction, and an important change. Yet her leadership comes at a time of deepening internal strife. Grassroots members especially are calling for a new direction after the rule of former leader Peter Dutton.
Here are some key takeaways from her acceptance speech, where Ley demonstrated her commitment to practicing inclusive leadership. She pledged her term against any “captain’s calls.” By raising this key point, she communicates her commitment to building a more collaborative culture in the party and healing the rifts that have persisted.
Ley’s win is a deeply personal one for her. It does illustrate that party members are starving for progressive policies. Taylor has had the benefit of conservative wing support, Ley has managed to gain momentum from within the party’s progressive base. This change is an important and encouraging development against the background of increased attention to and advocacy for climate and energy policy.
A Challenging Path Ahead
With an obvious challenge in her hands, Sussan Ley has a steep hill to climb as she assumes the leadership. The Liberal Party is now furiously contending with party disarray and growing public backlash against the party for prioritizing anti-climate action. Her election as leader has raised the bar of expectations. Beyond process, she needs to bring the party together and confront the tall order that lies before.
Ley’s leadership style prioritizes rebuilding local party branches and renewing policy agendas. She has given voice to calls for a reconsideration of the party’s approach to major issues like, of course, climate policy. Throughout her campaign, she signaled that conversations about the party’s environmental plans would be revisited.
“That policy, alongside others, will be reviewed.” – [No specific source mentioned]
Unfortunately, Ley now stands at a precarious crossroads. First she needs to figure out how to most successfully beat Australia’s commitment to getting to net-zero emissions by 2050. She has left open questions about whether the party will reconsider its approach on climate — Brexit notwithstanding. Ley deftly sidestepped inquiry into her new deputy, Ted O’Brien’s, nuclear energy policy. This shift makes her job more tenuous as she attempts to thread the needle between progressives on one side and conservatives on the other.
Energy Policy Under Scrutiny
As negotiations over future energy policy heat up, Ley has been thrust into the heart of a key and timely conversation. From fears that renewable installations are incapable of producing energy in a reliable manner. Now her attention should turn towards how energy security can underpin growth in Australian manufacturing and job creation.
Melissa Price, a prominent figure in the party, voiced her apprehensions regarding the risks posed by increasing reliance on renewables, stating, “They know that from an energy security perspective we’re in trouble.” However, Price told Senate Estimates that additional wind and solar energy solutions wouldn’t be enough to meet Australia’s increasing energy demands.
“More wind and solar is not going to cut it. We need an honest conversation.” – Melissa Price
Ley has also spoken about greater scrutiny of power prices, including in the lead up to this year’s Federal election. She sees energy policies as needing to constantly advance industry competitiveness. She stated, “We want to be mindful of the impact on power prices. You’ve got to do this in a way that’s sensible because you don’t want to export industry and jobs.”
A real change in overall energy policy suggests Ley should be looking at more affordable and reliable base load power. This change is imperative for strengthening advanced manufacturing in Australia’s economy.
The Road to Unity
Unifying the fractured Coalition partner Liberal Party will be one of Ley’s biggest challenges. With factions entrenched in contrasting ideologies, she must navigate these divisions carefully. James McGrath, another party member, highlighted the necessity of cohesion within the ranks, asserting that “the Liberal Party is not the toy section of Big W.”
Of course, Ley’s leadership style will be the most important factor. From day one, she’ll work vigorously to unite balkanized interests and offer all New Yorkers a compelling vision of the future. Many party members have expressed optimism that her progressive stance could resonate well with voters while addressing internal concerns.
“Before things get worse, they can always get worse.” – James McGrath
Ley’s leadership builds hope among some members of her caucus hungry for change. Critics, including in her own party, question her capacity to manage her party’s conflicting priorities. As she takes on this new chapter, her success in leadership will be predicated upon her ability to create it. She needs to develop some big ideas, the kind that unify Americans of all political stripes.
