Liberals re-examine gender quotas in slew of proposals to make party ‘fit-for-purpose political machine’

A Liberal party discussion paper raises the prospect of gender quotas in noting that men outnumber women four-to-one in the lower house in federal parliament. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP View image in fullscreen A Liberal party discussion paper raises the prospect of gender quotas in noting that men outnumber women four-to-one in the lower house in federal parliament. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP Liberals re-examine gender quotas in slew of proposals to make party ‘fit-for-purpose political machine’ Angus Taylor has stated his opposition, but discussion paper’s authors warn ‘if we want a different outcome, we need to be prepared to do things differently’ Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Liberal party is canvassing views on gender quotas among possible interventions to increase the number of women in its parliamentary ranks, which it says is critical to the long-term survival of the movement. The idea has re-emerged in a new discussion paper from the Liberal Party Commission, an internal group established under former leader Sussan Ley to review the party after consecutive thumping federal election defeats . The discussion paper, circulated to supporters on Wednesday, canvasses options to renew the party’s ageing membership base, select “competitive candidates”, better engage with multicultural communities and young people, and improve its internal structures and campaigning. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email “We hold few seats in urban areas, core demographics continue to turn away from us without looking back, our membership is ageing, and campaign resources are stretched,” the chair of the commission, Queensland senator James McGrath, wrote in a preview to the report. “Our core question is: how do we make the Liberal Party a fit-for-purpose political machine in the 21 st century?” The discussion paper admitted the parliamentary team was not representative of the average Australian, which it defined as a 38-year-old woman who was not engaged in politics but felt the Liberals “don’t look like her or speak for her aspirations”. Just 33% of Liberal and (Queensland LNP) parliamentarians across the country are women, the paper noted, with men outnumbering women four-to-one in the lower house in Canberra. 34:29 The Liberal party needs more than a rebrand – Back to Back Barries podcast “If the Liberal Party is to survive in the long term, this must change urgently,” the paper said. The party’s problem with female representation have been well-documented for years but attempts to address it – including through gender quotas – have failed due to staunch internal resistance. The opposition leader, Angus Taylor , is opposed to gender quotas, publicly rejecting the idea after the potential intervention was debated after the 2025 election. But the discussion paper warned new measures would be required if “serious progress” was to be made. Tabled document reveals