There comes a moment in every political career when the applause fades and the room decides it no longer believes you. For Sussan Ley, that moment has arrived. The embattled Liberal Party leader finds herself at the centre of a crisis of confidence – from within her party, from the Nationals, and most importantly, from the Australian public.
The headlines have been brutal. “Ineffectual.” “Uninspiring.” “Drifting.” The Coalition’s poll numbers hover in the mid-20s, and Ley’s personal approval ratings are deep underwater. Her leadership is under siege not only from restless Nationals but also from an electorate that has stopped listening.
The Howard handshake and Hollow Loyalty
When John Howard emerges from political retirement to publicly plead that the party should “get behind Sussan Ley,” you know things are bad. It’s not a battle cry – it’s a life preserver tossed from the deck of a sinking ship.
Howard’s words were meant to inspire, but they revealed the truth: Ley’s support is crumbling. The Liberal–National Coalition has lost direction, and Australians – especially those over 60 who remember the days of conviction politics – are losing patience.
Older Australians crave strong leadership
Australians over 60 grew up in an era of strong leaders. We remember Howard, Hawke, Keating – politicians who made hard calls because they believed in something. Not because it tested well in a focus group.
We don’t want spin. We want substance. We want a Liberal leader with vision, not one nervously checking social media for cues. Ley’s problem is that she sounds like a manager, not a leader. People over 60 can spot the difference a mile away.
We crave direction, not deference; courage, not calculation. A Prime Minister-in-waiting must look forward through the windscreen, not endlessly in the rear-view mirror.
Five things Sussan Ley must do – and Why it still might not be enough
1. Reclaim authority and conviction
Ley needs to stop apologising for leadership and start showing it. A clear, confident voice matters more than a dozen policy reviews. She must outline what she stands for – in simple, human language – and defend it even when it’s unpopular.
2. Repair or replace the Coalition
The alliance with the Nationals has become a soap opera. Either rebuild it on shared values – jobs, energy, cost-of-living – or split decisively. Australians crave stability, not internal warfare played out on breakfast TV.
3. Reconnect with Real Australians
The Liberal Party’s heartland – older Australians, regional voters, small business owners – no longer feel heard. Ley needs to spend less time in Canberra and more time in community halls and main streets. Listen before lecturing.
4. Redefine the Liberal identity
Voters don’t know what the party stands for anymore. Is it conservative or centrist? Green-tinged or blue-blooded? Ley must draw a clean line and claim a message that speaks to everyday Australians: fairness, responsibility and opportunity.
5. Prepare for the Endgame
The hard truth: even with all this, she may still lose. The damage may already be done. The polls may not recover. Ley’s smartest play might be to lead with dignity, groom a credible successor, and preserve what’s left of the party’s credibility for the next generation.
The Leadership Void
John Howard’s words were well-intentioned, but nostalgia doesn’t win elections. What Australians – particularly those over 60 – want is leadership that feels real again. We’ve had enough of politics as marketing. We want strength, integrity, and a plan that stretches beyond tomorrow’s news cycle.
If Sussan Ley can rediscover that spirit – if she can become the kind of leader who believes something deeply enough to fight for it – she might still steady the ship. But if she can’t, she’ll be remembered not as the woman who rebuilt the Liberal Party, but as the one who kept the chair warm while the party drifted into irrelevance.
And that, as any over-60 will tell you, is the cruellest kind of failure: the one you saw coming and didn’t stop.
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