"It's simple": Sussan Ley reveals stance on Welcome to Country

Newly elected Liberal leader Sussan Ley has called on her party to modernise and reconnect with contemporary Australian values following one of its worst electoral defeats in history.

In her first press conference since defeating Angus Taylor for the leadership, Ms Ley pledged a fresh approach to politics, saying the Liberal Party must "respect, reflect, and represent modern Australia".

“We have to meet the people where they are. And that’s what I am committed to doing and what I am determined to do,” she said. “I want to do things differently, and we have to have a fresh approach.”

Ley described her election to the party’s top job as an “enormous privilege”, adding: “I am humbled. I am honoured. And I am up for the job.”

The leadership transition follows a bruising election campaign that saw the Liberals suffer significant losses, prompting calls for renewal and deeper engagement with a changing electorate.

Cultural recognition also emerged as a flashpoint during the campaign’s final days, with controversy over audience reactions to Welcome to Country ceremonies. Addressing the issue head-on, Ms Ley called for authenticity in cultural acknowledgements.

“With respect to Welcome to Country, it’s simple: if it’s meaningful, if it matters, if it resonates, then it’s in the right place,” she said. “If it is done in a way that is ticking a box on a Teams meeting then I don’t think it is relevant. It actually diminishes the value of what it is.”

On the issue of national symbols, Ms Ley said she frequently stands in front of the Indigenous flag but would prefer to see Australians united under a single banner.

“We should unite under the one Australian flag, that is my firm view,” she stated.

Ms Ley now faces the challenge of steering a divided and diminished Liberal Party toward renewal, with pressure mounting to appeal to a broader, more diverse Australia. Her leadership marks a potential turning point for the party as it seeks to rebuild and redefine its identity in opposition.

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