Ley way

Sussan Ley spent the lull between her election as Liberal leader and the return of parliament in places her predecessor, Peter Dutton, typically avoided.

A policy-light but personal-story-heavy appearance at the National Press Club in June was sandwiched between interviews on youth-focused podcasts. This month, she invited The Australian Women’s Weekly to her Albury home for a 2000-word spread.

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It’s a sign that Ley’s team is acutely aware of their first task: defining the new leader for a public that, despite two decades in public office, knows little about her.

Politicians often succeed when voters can summarise them in a line. Anthony Albanese grew up in public housing with a single mum. Scott Morrison was the daggy dad who loved the Sharks.