A member of the Liberal Party of South Australia who considered running for office in a blue seat has joined a party working group aimed at helping to involve, support and create more opportunities for to women.
Key points:
- Chelsey Potter will join a working group to find ways to improve the number of women in the Liberal Party SA
- As a result, Ms. Potter has decided not to run in the Bragg by-elections as an independent.
- David Speirs says the party needs to better reflect modern society
Chelsey Potter was nominated for Bragg’s by-election only to be rejected by the Liberal Party, which led her to seriously consider running as an independent in the seat previously held by Deputy Prime Minister Vickie Chapman.
Ms Potter has spoken publicly about being allegedly sexually assaulted by another Liberal Party member when they both worked in Canberra in 2015.
Since then, she has openly criticized the party’s response to its alleged aggression and broader issues affecting women in politics.
“Many things to do”
Ms Potter said today that she had held several talks with Liberal leader David Speirs in recent days about her experience as a woman in the Liberal Party.
“I’m waiting for all the comments I’ve made in this regard … I had a very solid conversation with the leader last night and over the last few days, a lot of truths have been told from home,” Potter said.
“It’s not about me. It’s about the future of women in this state. It’s a healthy two-party system that has a healthy relationship with women, and the Liberal Party has a lot to do to get there. .
“I literally gave up a seat in parliament to do this because it’s important to me. I’m pretty sure I would have gone to Bragg if I had run.”
The working group will seek to create more opportunities and avenues for women within the party, with gender quotas that will also be considered.
Chelsey Potter said she was happy with her decision to join the task force to help engage, support and attract more women to the party. (ABC News: Ben Pettitt)
“Everything is on the table … we have to talk to the members and we have to take the women out of the party about it,” she said.
“I’ve said in the past that quotas work. I’m not sure if they work for the Liberal Party. But everything is on the table and that encourages me a lot.”
Speirs said the task force would inform her directly about ways to improve the number of women in the party.
He said there were six women in his shadow cabinet and that women accounted for 60 per cent of the party’s representation in the upper house, but there were major issues to be resolved.
“We need to aspire to the best, for our mothers and our daughters and our nieces and nephews and all the women in our lives, because we need a parliamentary party that reflects the whole of South Australia,” Speirs said.
“After Bragg’s by-elections, our numbers, whether we win or lose these by-elections, will be two women in the lower house and that’s not good enough.”
Speirs said Ms Potter’s decision not to run for Bragg made things easier for the party, which pre-selected Jack Batty in the safe Liberal seat.
“If Chelsey doesn’t show up for Bragg, of course, in my opinion it’s an easier path for the Liberal Party, but here we need reform,” he said.
“It’s not about cracking cracks for a short period of time.
“I want to lead a party that reflects the whole of South Australia.”
Speirs was part of the Liberal Party’s state executive, which decided not to allow Ms. Potter to run for office.
“We may not have made the right decision … I’m very sorry for some of the experiences Chelsey has had historically in the game, but we have to look to the future,” he said.
“I want to welcome Chelsey back to this party because she has a particular perspective on how we can do better and it’s time we listened to that perspective.
Former Prime Minister Vickie Chapman will not be part of the task force. (Parliament of South Australia)
The working group will be chaired by Upper House MP Nicola Centofanti, who said the involvement of women at all levels would be crucial.
“We need to find ways to get women into our grassroots party, but we also need to make sure that we create ways for women to have a chance to raise their hand to be pre-selected and then elected to safe seats,” she said. Mrs. said Centofanti.
The 12-woman task force will also include former federal Liberal MP Trish Worth, former Liberal Liberal MP Carolyn Power and Upper House MP Caronline Schaefer.
Posted 3 hours ago Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 6:18 AM, updated 3 hours ago, 3 hours ago, Tuesday, June 7, 2022 at 6:27 AM