Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek has rejected Liberal party objections to quotas aimed at increasing female representation in politics, dismissing claims that longstanding Labor rules undermine democracy. Plibersek highlighted that while Labor has achieved gender parity using quotas, the Liberal party’s parliamentary representation of women is less than a third. She questioned whether all 28 Liberal federal parliamentary members were the most talented individuals in the country, suggesting that a more diverse representation is needed.
The Liberal shadow defense minister, Angus Taylor, opposes the push for changes to preselection rules to promote more Liberal women to winnable seats. Taylor, who is part of the conservative wing of the party’s New South Wales branch, argues that gender quotas would undermine democratic processes and supports mentoring, recruitment, and support as strategies to increase female representation.
However, Plibersek countered that the justification for opposing quotas was flawed, noting that the Liberal party willingly accepts quotas for National party MPs. Sussan Ley, the opposition leader, has pledged to get more women into the Liberal party, however, she remains undecided about the use of quotas.
Despite opposition to quotas, there is a consensus among Liberals that more women should be represented in the party. Taylor and Ley agree on the need for a grassroots movement across their political side to achieve this goal. The Liberal party is currently conducting reviews into their election loss, including an analysis of the party’s structure. Some within the party are advocating for preselection primary contests or mandated quota systems to avoid future defeats to Labor.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/29/coalition-happy-to-have-quotas-for-nationals-on-frontbench-but-not-for-female-liberal-mps-tanya-plibersek-says
