Latest news with #CharlotteMortlock
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Liberals slam gender quotas as ‘disgraceful' and ‘antithetical' in leaked messages
Leaked messages from a WhatsApp group of Liberal party members in New South Wales have labelled calls for gender quotas as 'embarrassing', as the push for stronger female representation grows. The latest discord followed a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women's Council on Wednesday night, where attenders said a majority of the women were in support of quotas and broad cultural change after May's federal election loss. The WhatsApp chat exploded after the meeting's quotas discussion, which followed a public petition for quotas, endorsed by Hilma's Network founder, Charlotte Mortlock, the president and vice-president of the women's council, and former NSW Liberal MP Rob Stokes, with his wife, Sophie. The petition, created after the federal election, has 500 verified signatures as of Friday. It urges for quotas in the Liberal party to be established 'immediately' and claims the 'frustrations of women, both Liberal members and voters, continue to fall on deaf ears'. In the messages, the former Young Liberals president, Alex Dore, compared the quota push to the Liberal party putting former construction union leader John Setka into a leadership position. 'Gender quotas are as antithetical to most Liberals as putting Labor trade unionists like John Setka on the party's board of directors,' he wrote to the WhatsApp group. Another member said it was 'disgraceful' and 'unbelievable', and that they had 'never seen anything like this'. The group consists of about 50 Liberal members, including the former Liberal vice-president Teena McQueen, with most heralding from the right wing of the party. Guardian Australia has not seen the text messages but has spoken with multiple group members who have verified the contents. One Liberal source, who was not in the chat, described it as a small and 'cranky' group while another party source said they believed the purpose of the leak was to 'damage' the conversation on quotas and cultural reform. The current federal Liberal vice-president, and former MP, Fiona Scott, said she found it more disappointing that the Liberals had lost so many seats in the last decade. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'What is disgraceful, there are more women sitting on the crossbench in former Liberal seats, than sitting on our side of the bench in the House of Representatives,' she said. Party sources have told Guardian Australia a shift in sentiment could be emerging towards a quota plan, provided the right model can be agreed to. A rule change would require 60% support in a vote of the NSW state council. There were no models or motions presented at the Women's Council meeting, and one member said it would take time for the right model to be debated and accepted. Others in the party have publicly opposed quotas, including the frontbencher Angus Taylor, who has said he would actively campaign on 'sensible policies in line with Liberal values' to get more women into parliament. The new Liberal senator Jess Collins, aligned with Taylor, has also publicly opposed quotas.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
FULL SHOW: Sussan Ley wins Libs leadership, Diddy's trial + the dark side to work perks
Sussan Ley is the new Liberal leader, the first woman to ever lead the party. Can she turn around its fortunes? Also, Sean "Diddy" Combs is on trial in New York. Here's what's happened in court so far. Plus, are niche perks at work masking unfair pay and conditions? And wrestling is making a comeback, as the WWE brings flagship events to Australia for the first time. Listen now: 01:13- The Diddy trial begins 08:43 - The first woman to lead the Liberals 18:25 - What are work perks hiding? 25:05 - Wrestling's having a moment Guests: Lauren Day, North America correspondent, ABC Lauren Day, North America correspondent, ABC Charlotte Mortlock, founder, Hilma's Network Charlotte Mortlock, founder, Hilma's Network Olivier Oren, associate lecturer, Griffith University Get the whole story from Hack:
Sky News AU
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Toxic and divisive': Gender quotas for Liberal Party leadership blasted
IPA Senior Fellow John Roskam says no Australian should have a position denied to them because of their gender, religion or race. Former staffer Charlotte Mortlock says the Liberals would be 'morons' if they elect two men to lead the party. 'Quotas are toxic and divisive; they are based on basically a Marxist philosophical position,' Mr Roskam told Sky News host Peta Credlin. 'They are completely illiberal.'
Sky News AU
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
‘Absolutely paramount': Liberal Party should be representative of Australian population
Hilma's Network Founder Charlotte Mortlock discusses the structure and nature of the Liberal Party following a strong defeat in the recent Australian federal election. 'The average Australian is a 37-year-old female; the average Liberal Party member is a male in his seventies,' Ms Mortlock told Sky News Australia. 'It is absolutely paramount that we have quotas, I don't even think it's negotiable at this point. 'It is not the time for soft ideas, it is the time for really hard concrete decisions to be made within this party, and unless we make them quickly, I really doubt that there'll be many liberal women that will stick around for another three years.'
