Culture change urged as issues threaten Liberal women
Since being dealt a stunning election loss, thanks in part to female voters abandoning the coalition, measures like gender quotas have been offered as a way to try modernise the party.
But opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh said these approaches must be accompanied by broader cultural change.
"We're being blocked," she told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
"Until the culture is addressed, we could have all the quotas in the world, but it will be a revolving door of women."
She pointed to attempts by two men to challenge her for preselection in the marginal seat she has held since 2019 as examples of systemic issues within the Liberal Party.
"That means a female marginal seat holder can lose her seat because of internal warfare," she said.
"It's a cultural issue that is allowed to happen."
Ms McIntosh recommended a professional undertake a cultural review into the Liberal Party, noting it was "too important to be relying on instinct or people's ideology" and said the future of the party depended on it.
After the May election defeat, only one third of Liberal MPs were women, compared to more than half of Labor MPs.
Though almost all agree the coalition needs more women, disagreements remain over how improvements could be achieved.
While Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said she was open to looking at quotas, the coalition's defence spokesman Angus Taylor opposed the measure, claiming it would "subvert democratic processes".
Ms McIntosh remained open to the idea but said the party should first look at achieving a gender balance in the candidate pre-selection process.
"When we do have low numbers in the House of Representatives, we shouldn't be saying 'no' to any mechanism if people don't like it," she said.
The Liberal Party has been warned its efforts to bolster women's representation could go to waste without a culture overhaul.
Since being dealt a stunning election loss, thanks in part to female voters abandoning the coalition, measures like gender quotas have been offered as a way to try modernise the party.
But opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh said these approaches must be accompanied by broader cultural change.
"We're being blocked," she told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
"Until the culture is addressed, we could have all the quotas in the world, but it will be a revolving door of women."
She pointed to attempts by two men to challenge her for preselection in the marginal seat she has held since 2019 as examples of systemic issues within the Liberal Party.
"That means a female marginal seat holder can lose her seat because of internal warfare," she said.
"It's a cultural issue that is allowed to happen."
Ms McIntosh recommended a professional undertake a cultural review into the Liberal Party, noting it was "too important to be relying on instinct or people's ideology" and said the future of the party depended on it.
After the May election defeat, only one third of Liberal MPs were women, compared to more than half of Labor MPs.
Though almost all agree the coalition needs more women, disagreements remain over how improvements could be achieved.
While Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said she was open to looking at quotas, the coalition's defence spokesman Angus Taylor opposed the measure, claiming it would "subvert democratic processes".
Ms McIntosh remained open to the idea but said the party should first look at achieving a gender balance in the candidate pre-selection process.
"When we do have low numbers in the House of Representatives, we shouldn't be saying 'no' to any mechanism if people don't like it," she said.
The Liberal Party has been warned its efforts to bolster women's representation could go to waste without a culture overhaul.
Since being dealt a stunning election loss, thanks in part to female voters abandoning the coalition, measures like gender quotas have been offered as a way to try modernise the party.
But opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh said these approaches must be accompanied by broader cultural change.
"We're being blocked," she told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
"Until the culture is addressed, we could have all the quotas in the world, but it will be a revolving door of women."
She pointed to attempts by two men to challenge her for preselection in the marginal seat she has held since 2019 as examples of systemic issues within the Liberal Party.
"That means a female marginal seat holder can lose her seat because of internal warfare," she said.
"It's a cultural issue that is allowed to happen."
Ms McIntosh recommended a professional undertake a cultural review into the Liberal Party, noting it was "too important to be relying on instinct or people's ideology" and said the future of the party depended on it.
After the May election defeat, only one third of Liberal MPs were women, compared to more than half of Labor MPs.
Though almost all agree the coalition needs more women, disagreements remain over how improvements could be achieved.
While Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said she was open to looking at quotas, the coalition's defence spokesman Angus Taylor opposed the measure, claiming it would "subvert democratic processes".
Ms McIntosh remained open to the idea but said the party should first look at achieving a gender balance in the candidate pre-selection process.
"When we do have low numbers in the House of Representatives, we shouldn't be saying 'no' to any mechanism if people don't like it," she said.
The Liberal Party has been warned its efforts to bolster women's representation could go to waste without a culture overhaul.
Since being dealt a stunning election loss, thanks in part to female voters abandoning the coalition, measures like gender quotas have been offered as a way to try modernise the party.
But opposition frontbencher Melissa McIntosh said these approaches must be accompanied by broader cultural change.
"We're being blocked," she told ABC's Insiders on Sunday.
"Until the culture is addressed, we could have all the quotas in the world, but it will be a revolving door of women."
She pointed to attempts by two men to challenge her for preselection in the marginal seat she has held since 2019 as examples of systemic issues within the Liberal Party.
"That means a female marginal seat holder can lose her seat because of internal warfare," she said.
"It's a cultural issue that is allowed to happen."
Ms McIntosh recommended a professional undertake a cultural review into the Liberal Party, noting it was "too important to be relying on instinct or people's ideology" and said the future of the party depended on it.
After the May election defeat, only one third of Liberal MPs were women, compared to more than half of Labor MPs.
Though almost all agree the coalition needs more women, disagreements remain over how improvements could be achieved.
While Opposition Leader Sussan Ley said she was open to looking at quotas, the coalition's defence spokesman Angus Taylor opposed the measure, claiming it would "subvert democratic processes".
Ms McIntosh remained open to the idea but said the party should first look at achieving a gender balance in the candidate pre-selection process.
"When we do have low numbers in the House of Representatives, we shouldn't be saying 'no' to any mechanism if people don't like it," she said.
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