Sussan Ley has announced she will run for the Liberal Party leadership, and candidly admitted that the party had failed women during the election campaign.
In her first interview since the Coalition’s crushing election defeat, Ley confirmed she will run for Liberal Party leadership when MPs met in Canberra on Tuesday morning.
Sunrise host Nat Barr asked if she had the numbers to beat tipped frontrunner Angus Taylor – who has linked up with Jacinta Nampijinpa Price – and Ley said she was optimistic.
‘We have great talent … and I welcome nominations across that party room,’ Ley said.
Barr also confronted Ley about why the party did not have more women voting for them.
‘You were the most senior woman there … why didn’t you get more women voting for you in this last election?’
Ley admitted the party got it wrong.
‘We did let the women of down,’ Ley said.
‘That’s part of the conversations I have been having, and we will continue to have.
‘We have to understand why people didn’t support us, that they weren’t inspired by our policy offerings and that they didn’t believe we were the best choice to lead the country forward.
‘It’s about having the conversations that I have described, it’s about making sure that I am listening to my colleagues and I do – demonstrate to them we want a strong approach that includes everyone.
‘I want to harness all of the talent in my team, take it forward under my leadership and meet the n people where they are because, clearly we didn’t do that at the last election but we do need to reflect a modern Liberal Party.’
Barr asked Ley if she was aware of the term ‘the glass cliff’.
‘For everyone at home that term means a woman is given a senior position where the risk of failure is high. It is pretty, probably, common knowledge that your party has a woman problem.
‘Is that what’s happening here? They’re putting you in to clean up the mess?’
Ley responded, saying: ‘I’m putting my hand up, Nat. I’m determined and convinced that I am the right person to lead the party forward at this time, and I think my appointment would send a strong signal to the women of .
‘We can win the next election. And this is a moment to look forward and really bring the n people.’
THIS IS A BREAKING STORY… MORE TO COME