Sussan Ley emerged to the scaffold of the press gallery with a smile. A strained smile.

When I came to the leadership of the Liberal Party nine months ago, my mother had just died. One of the things she said was:

‘When something ends in sadness, don’t dwell on the disappointment. Be grateful that you had it at all.’

So today, I want to express my gratitude to the Liberal Party that I have belonged to and loved for more than half of my adult life. To the party room that elected me as their leader nine months ago. And to the Parliament of Australia that has been the most extraordinary workplace for 25 years.

There are tears here for Sussan Ley.

The leadership of our party is a gift of the party room and I respect the decision that they have made.

For those who supported me today, I thank you. I thank you.

Your loyalty, your unflinching loyalty, I always appreciate.

For those who did not, I genuinely have no hard feelings.

I wish Angus Taylor well. I know he has experience, energy, and drive. I know the whole team will have what it takes to fight this awful Labor government. I will be cheering them on.

I thank the many colleagues that I have worked with, not just over the last few months, but over many years. You continue to have my respect and admiration for all that you do.

I thank my Deputy, Ted O’Brien, for the incredible way he has conducted himself.

I thank our grassroots party members who get up every day and work hard for the values that we all believe in so deeply.

I have been supported by incredible staff in every team that I have led. Quite simply, I could not have done it without them.

When a father from Rand, Angus Macneil, first approached me to be the candidate for Farrer in 2001 and said he thought I had what it takes, I never expected to be successful. I won the seat by 206 votes. And I have been re-elected nine times. I love the Western Plains of New South Wales. The Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers and the rural communities that it has been my enormous privilege to represent.

When I came here in 2001, my children were eight, ten, and 12. They are now in their 30s with children of their own. They are my greatest gift. And the six little Australians … my grandchildren … remind me that everything we do in this place should always be about the next generation.

I leave it for others to judge this period of my leadership.

Now, and in the passing of time.

While I am sure plenty of people will have plenty to say, I have never sought to influence what other people think of me. I am proud of the role I played in establishing the Royal Commission into antisemitism. I am proud that we landed an energy policy in November of last year, and I’m also proud that after a difficult period the Coalition reformed stronger than before.

There is no doubt that it has been a challenging time to lead the party after we suffered the worst defeat in 81 years.

It has been tough.

At times, very tough.

But every sleepless night. Every intractable problem. Indeed, every personal challenge has always been put in perspective by my understanding of the burdens so many ordinary Australians face. Quietly and without fuss. Every day. Those Australians remain my inspiration.

It is important that the new leader gets clear air, something that always afforded to leaders.

But which, in the present moment, is more important than ever.

I will be spending the next couple of weeks thanking the amazing people of Farrer and expressing my gratitude to them for the honour of representing them for 25 years.

Shortly thereafter, I will be tendering my resignation to the Speaker.

I am not sure what comes next for me.

I look forward to stepping away, completely and comprehensively, from public life to spend time with my family, to reconnect with my enduring passion … aviation … which taught me that if I had an ego, I’d be dead. It has been quite useful in politics.

And finally, as some of you know, I was part of the early Punk Rock movement in Canberra. I will continue to find wisdom in one of Punk’s defining themes: a fearless and honest belief in yourself. Thank you.

Sussan Ley left to applause and took no questions.