Sussan Ley: Farrer by-election holds risks for Liberals after former leader announces resignation

Sussan Ley has announced she is leaving politics, looking forward to escaping public life, sparking Angus Taylor’s first major test, with a by-election set to be called in her electorate.

On Friday, Mr Taylor was elected Liberal leader in a secret party room ballot, ousting the first female Federal Liberal leader from her role.

Ms Ley will be reasonably comfortable, financially, now she has decided to resign.

She’s entitled to a generous parliamentary pension, having been elected in 2001, three years before John Howard curtailed the scheme, and the view is she would see little point in hanging around.

Mr Barry warned her departure would set conditions ripe for an independent or minor party to take Farrer in a by-election, like independent Kerryn Phelps won the blue-ribbon seat of Wentworth from the Liberals after Malcolm Turnbull quit parliament.

“These sort of by-elections where it’s consequence-free — in other words, it’s not going to change government — are always incredibly volatile and unpredictable,” he said.

The Climate 200-backed independent who won nearly 20 per cent of the primary vote last May is keeping her options open for a fresh tilt at Farrer.

Michelle Milthorpe has kept her campaign social media accounts running, highlighting local issues and repeating the message that the community “deserves better”.

“My reason for running in the first place was because I didn’t feel that we had relatable representation and consistent representation, and that hasn’t changed,” she told this column, adding that she was “certainly” considering running again.

“We’re looking for an alternative government . . . the opposition is meant to be providing an alternative and doing those things and they can’t when their focus is on internal politics.”