Background
Ley was born in Kano, Nigeria to English parents.
Ley was born in Kano, Nigeria to English parents.
She was educated at Louisiana Trobe University, the University of New South Wales and Charles Sturt University, and has master"s degrees in taxation and accountancy.
Ley was the Assistant Minister for Education in the Abbott Government from 18 September 2013 until 23 December 2014, when she entered the cabinet and was appointed Minister for Health and Minister for Sport. She retained the portfolios in the Turnbull Government, and on 30 September and also picked up Aged Care. Her family migrated to Australia when she was 13.
When Ley was 19 she enrolled in flight school and gained her commercial pilot"s licence when she was 20.
She has been a waitress, cleaner, air traffic controller and commercial pilot, and later a farmer and shearer"s cook. They settled on her husband"s family farm in north-east Victoria, and have three children.
Ley was Director of Technical Training at the Australian Taxation Office in Albury from 1995 to 2001 before entering politics. Ley was appointed Parliamentary Secretary (Children and Youth Affairs) in October 2004 and Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry in January 2006.
Following the 2007 election, Ley was appointed Shadow Minister for Housing and Shadow Minister for Status of Women by Opposition Leader, Doctor Brendan Nelson, moving to Shadow Minister for Customs and Justice when Malcolm Turnbull became Opposition Leader in September 2008.
When Tony Abbott became Opposition Leader in December 2009 she was given the portfolio of Shadow Assistant Treasurer and was moved to Shadow Minister for Employment Participation and Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Childhood Learning after the 2010 election. On 16 September, Ley was appointed Assistant Minister for Education in the Abbott Government, with responsibility for childcare. As part of a ministerial reshuffle, on 23 December 2014 Ley was promoted to cabinet, to become the Minister for Health.