Sussan Ley has announced she will leave politics as the member for Farrer having lost the Liberal Party leadership as the first women Opposition Leader and just eight months in the role. Ley has been an active local regional member and held her Farrer electorate for 25 years, once the seat of the Nationals leader and deputy Prime Minister, Tim Fischer. While commentary will continue around her challenges in the role, including lack of Coalition unity, and policy settings and releases, recent polling has shocked the Liberal Party into a fight for survival, requiring it urgently demonstrate a coherent identity and present workable policies. Ley’s resignation and a Farrer bi-election presents the new Liberal leader Angus Taylor with an immediate challenge, being an electorate made up of urban and rural communities stretching along the Murray River, taking in Albury to the South Australian boarder, and including Griffith, Leeton and Narrandera in 2016. Besides the national issues of debt approaching $1 trillion, climate change and energy decisions, lack of productivity and immigration, local and regional issues will include, cost of living, housing, water management and struggling small to medium business enterprises (SME’s). SME’s now number over 90 per cent of all businesses including farmers and employ 70 per cent of the private work force; with business insolvencies rising steeply, SME’s are not understood by the Labor government who prefer to deal with big business and big unions. With Labor unlikely to run a candidate, Farrer voters will be seeking clear policy responses from the Liberal Party, and the Nationals following a decision on three corners contests; others planning to run include One Nation and an independent backed by Climate 200.
