Energy Minister Chris Bowen has handed Sussan Ley a shock role on the board of Snowy Hydro, months after she was dumped as opposition leader.
The Albanese government confirmed the surprise appointment on Monday, citing Ms Ley’s extensive experience in government and environmental regulation.
Ms Ley, a former environment and water minister under Scott Morrison, will now oversee the troubled Snowy 2.0 project as it battles enormous cost blowouts.
“I congratulate Sussan Ley and Merryn York on their appointments to the Snowy Hydro Board,” Mr Bowen said in a statement.
“Sussan brings extensive experience in government and regional Australia, as well as a strong understanding of Snowy 2.0.
“Their combined knowledge and skill will help Snowy Hydro deliver reliable power, stronger regional economies and more Australian jobs.”
The appointment marks an extraordinary comeback for Ms Ley, who only months ago declared she was walking away from public life.
Ms Ley suffered a brutal end to her 25-year political career when Opposition Leader Angus Taylor deposed her after nine months as first female leader of the Liberal Party.
Her downfall followed a disastrous period for the Coalition, which struggled to rebuild following its 2025 election defeat.
Ms Ley subsequently announced she would leave politics and, in an emotional press conference after being deposed.
But several months later, she re-emerged for her first interview since losing the leadership and revealed she had undergone a “political self-reckoning”.
“When I lost the leadership … the inevitable ending of 25 years in public life, I knew that I needed to find my own voice,” Ms Ley said in August.
“There was a political self-reckoning for me, and I went through that process… It was about finding clarity. And I did find clarity.”
Snowy 2.0 was originally sold by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017 as a roughly $2 billion project.
However, the total cost associated with Snowy Hydro and the project has since been estimated at about $42 billion – more than 20 times the initial forecast.
The pumped-hydro project has also been plagued by construction delays, technical problems and repeated revisions to its timetable.
Read related topics:Angus TaylorChris Bowen