The opposition leader has called for “assertive women” to join the Liberal party, responding to comments made by a party elder. Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the Coalition, stated that the Liberals must reflect a modern Australia after Alan Stockdale, the party’s former federal president, reportedly claimed that women had become so assertive that the party might need to consider extra support for men.
Ley defended assertive women, encouraging them to join the Liberal party in a statement on Thursday. She emphasized that the Liberal party must reflect, respect, and represent modern Australia, including recognizing the strength, merit, and leadership of women in the party’s ranks.
Stockdale made his comments at a meeting of the New South Wales Liberal Women’s Council and later admitted to making a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark. The deputy opposition leader, Ted O’Brien, also questioned Stockdale’s comments and appealed to strong women to join the Liberals.
The Liberal party has been accused of having a “women problem” as female candidates are often placed in unwinnable positions and the party has lost support from female voter bases. This issue was highlighted during the party’s landslide federal election loss in May. The Liberal party’s campaign policy requiring public servants to stop working from home was also blamed for alienating female voters. The NSW division of the Liberal party faced turmoil after failing to nominate candidates for local government elections, leading the federal Liberals to step in and appoint figures to oversee the party’s state affairs.
Both Senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier Anna Palaszczuk condemned Stockdale’s remarks, with McKenzie suggesting that Stockdale should step back and have a whiskey with the “old boys” to reflect on the situation.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jun/05/sussan-ley-encourages-assertive-women-to-join-liberals-in-rebuff-to-party-elders-controversial-comment
