Meet the leaders: Sussan Ley MP

Sussan Ley is the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and an avid fan of flying. In this profile she reveals why her grandchildren call her ‘Glamz’. 

What are you reading and/or listening to at the moment?
I am re-reading Aloft by William Langeweische, essays on flight. I have been listening to a lot of Australian music on vinyl, alternating between Icehouse and Gang of Youths.

What is the one thing you spend money on that could be considered an indulgence?
As a pilot I am pretty much obsessed with aviation. So my indulgence is collecting flying paraphernalia. 

Following on from that, what brand is your current obsession?
Cessna. It is the maker of my favourite plane, the Cessna 182. My staff actually got me a Cessna shirt for my birthday. 

Who do you most admire and why?
… I admire those quiet people who tackle their challenges with courage and for whom just getting out of bed in the morning and facing the world is a big deal. That could be a young mum struggling with postnatal depression or the toughest tradie battling mental health. 

What is the best piece of feedback you’ve received?
Be yourself. Whoever that is. 

What are you most proud of in your career? Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘Thank you, the help you gave me changed my life’. Recently a man I supported over many years received an award. He said, ‘I literally would not be here without you’. That was pretty cool. 

What keeps you awake at night?
As a mum and a ‘Glamz’ (what my grandkids call me), it is the anxiety that with all I do I never have enough time for my family and friends.

How are you using AI in your life?
Very little. Maybe with random questions I ask Google, e.g. to compare the Fokker 100 with the Embraer 190 after flying in them both. 

What if anything would you like to see change for women in the workplace?
Every woman is different and wants different things from their workplace. But all would agree that they want what they say to carry exactly the same weight as the same words spoken by a man. 

I also want women to be supported to make choices about their lives and that very well may be to raise children. I worry that women are expected to somehow do everything and that adds up to too much pressure. 

What would you like your political legacy to be?
I’m not interested in legacies. They aren’t always real. Whatever people think of me is none of my business.