Sussan Ley, the former Liberal leader in Australia, has broken her silence following her departure from Australian politics by detailing a cross-country Greyhound bus trip through the United States. Ley described observing a "weary 'disconnect'" between Americans and the country's institutions, contrasting it with her experience of multiculturalism in Australia.
Ley, who spent 25 years in Australian politics, embarked on a solo journey with a backpack and punk rock music, traveling the less-glamorous interior of the US rather than its coasts. She spoke with fellow passengers from diverse backgrounds, including vagrants, ranchers, and ex-prisoners, whom she encountered while traveling incognito.
"The disconnection really was quite confronting," Ley told ABC's 7.30 program. "I expected as I travelled to still see that clenched fist sense of pride in the US, in the flag, in the identity of the country (and) I've got to be honest, I didn't see that." She noted a general "stepping back and disinterest" from institutions that are meant to represent and serve the public, a sentiment she found to be a human condition rather than tied to a specific political group.
Her observations came as she reflected on the rise of nationalist sentiment in Australia, including calls to replace multiculturalism with a "monoculture." Ley expressed strong support for Australia's multicultural model, stating that it succeeds by allowing people space to belong without erasing their differences. She contrasted this with her experience in the US, where she felt communities from different backgrounds were not integrating.
Ley cautioned against drawing direct parallels between the two countries, describing them as "apples and oranges" and emphasizing that immediate assumptions of similarity were inaccurate.
Her journey began in North Dakota and concluded in Texas, near the US-Mexico border. She described the experience of waiting in line for buses, particularly in Amarillo, Texas, as feeling akin to immigration detention. The trip ended with a visit to the border wall, where an army officer told her there was little to see and photography was not permitted.
Despite the observed disconnection from official institutions, Ley said she was struck by the camaraderie and quiet respect she witnessed among her fellow passengers from various backgrounds. She suggested this mutual respect was often absent in seats of power.
