Asked why the Liberal Party had failed to resonate with many women voters, Ley said women “didn’t feel much of what we were saying.”
Newly elected Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley said she wanted to have “honest conversations” with women after voters left the party. Credit: James Brickwood.
“It simply came to our notice then. But again, a lot of women supported us, and I’ve heard a lot about these women, and in my Farrer regional constituency, I had a 7 percent party move toward me. “
Labor ranks have increased by an additional six women, bringing their total seats held by women to 35. At the same time, women in the Liberal Party now have only 9 seats, below the 13 in the last parliament.
The Senate bowed out more than half of female representation during the last legislature, but has further increased its ranks. It will have 57 percent women once the new senators take their seats in July.
Labor has had quotas for female representation in winning seats since the mid-1990s with the level rising over time, while the Liberal Party has had resistance to quotas for some time.
Asked if she would advocate for quotas for women, Ley said it was a matter for the party’s state divisions, saying she was open to discussing “quotas with merit.”
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“Quotations alone sometimes overlook the issue of merit. Just look at the women in our party to know that merit played a very important role in their entire presence in this building,” she said.
Senior Liberal Sen. Anne Ruston said the party’s broad review of its election loss would examine why voters left the party, but said more could be done to support women in running for office. .
“The affirmative action to make sure we have a wide diversity in the party is very important as we rebuild because we are the alternative government,” he said.
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