Australia’s Liberal Party has for the first time chosen a woman as its leader, with Sussan Ley to take over from Peter Dutton after he led the party to a bruising election defeat.
Ley, from the moderate faction of the party, beat Angus Taylor – who ran on a promise to restore conservative values to the party – by four votes.
At the election on 3 May, the Liberal-National coalition, currently Australia’s main opposition party, suffered what many are calling the worst defeat in its history.
Pundits and MPs have blamed the result on polarising leaders, a messy campaign and “Trumpian” policies.
Ley’s appointment comes as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his new cabinet was sworn in at Parliament House, after his Labor Party won the election in a landslide.
According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Labor has won at least 93 seats – increasing their majority by 16 – while the Coalition has 41 seats, down from 58.
Ley has held the massive regional New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001 and has served as a senior minister in a variety of portfolios – making her one of the Liberal Party’s most experienced hands. She was also the party deputy under Dutton.
Ted O’Brien, a Queensland MP who was the energy spokesman in charge of selling the coalition’s controversial nuclear power proposal, was elected Ley’s deputy.
Both are expected to address the media later on Tuesday, but Ley has previously said she wanted to help the party rebuild its relationship with Australians.
“Many Australians, including women and younger Australians, feel neglected by the Liberal Party,” she said when announcing her desire to lead the party.
“We need to listen and we need to change. The Liberal Party must respect modern Australia, reflect modern Australia and represent modern Australia.”
Speaking after the party room vote, former minister Linda Reynolds said: “Australia spoke very clearly to the Liberal Party and we’ve listened and we’ve acted.”
The junior coalition partner, the Nationals, re-elected leader David Littleproud on Monday, after he too was challenged by a conservative colleague.