Sassan Ray was born in Nigeria to British parents.
The Australian Liberal Party has selected Sassan Ray as its new leader, marking the first time in its 80-year history that a woman has held this position. Ms. Ray succeeds Peter Dutton, who stepped down after the party faced one of its most significant electoral losses.
Several members of the party and political analysts have criticized the previous leadership for fostering divisive policies, confused campaign strategies, and hardline tactics that alienated young female voters.
Ray, who is known for her moderate views, won a close contest against conservative candidate Angus Taylor by just four votes. Following the May 3 election, the Liberal coalition’s representation declined from 58 to 42 seats, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s Labour Party achieved a sweeping victory, securing not less than 93 seats.
Who is Sassan Ray?
- Sassan Ray was born on December 14, 1961, in Kano, Nigeria. She grew up in the United Arab Emirates before moving to Australia with her parents and older brother at the age of 13.
- She attended schools in Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.
- Ms. Ray developed a passion for flying early on, taking various jobs to support her aspirations. She earned a commercial pilot license and worked as an air traffic controller at Sydney and Melbourne airports from 1983 to 1985.
- From 1985 to 1986, she served as a commercial pilot, and took on various roles in rural Australia, including chef and farmer. For 17 years, she has been involved in a livestock and dairy partnership near Tarangatta in northeastern Victoria.
- After the birth of her first child, she pursued university studies, balancing her education with raising three children. Eventually, she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s in tax law and accounting.
- While continuing her farm management duties, she worked at the Australian Tax Office in Albury, and later served as director of technical training between 1995 and 2001.
- In 2001, she entered politics and was elected to the House of Representatives representing Farrah in southern New South Wales. She won her first election by just 206 votes and has successfully been re-elected seven times since.
- She served as Minister of Health, Sports, and Caring for the Elderly in 2016 but resigned after controversies regarding taxpayer-funded travel for personal investments, for which she later apologized.
- In 2019, she returned to a ministerial role as Minister of the Environment under Scott Morrison. During her tenure, she faced a legal challenge regarding climate change responsibilities, but the initial ruling was later overturned.
- She co-chaired a group supporting Palestinian autonomy but faced criticism from colleagues for her perceived shift towards pro-Israel views.
