Liberals re-examine gender quotas in slew of proposals to make party ‘fit-for-purpose political machine’
Summary
The Liberal Party is considering ways to increase the number of women in its parliamentary team, including gender quotas, to better represent the average Australian and improve election results. An internal report outlines several options but notes these ideas may face resistance within the party.Key Facts
- The Liberal Party wants to increase female representation in its parliamentary ranks, where only 33% are women.
- Men outnumber women four-to-one in the lower house seats held by Liberals.
- The party’s membership is ageing and losing support from urban, multicultural, and young voters.
- The party’s internal commission, led by Senator James McGrath, released a discussion paper exploring changes.
- Proposals include gender quotas, open primaries, candidate lists like the UK Conservatives’, and minimum female candidate targets.
- Opposition leader Angus Taylor publicly opposes gender quotas.
- The paper presents pros and cons for each option but does not make a final recommendation.
- The party acknowledges that to survive long-term, it must change how it selects candidates and engages voters.
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