This year the Liberal Party pushed the number of women in its parliamentary ranks down to a 20 year low.
The Liberal Party are about to begin a 'no holds barred review' of their election strategy. With Cabinet Ministers already speaking out about the failure of existing strategies to improve women's representation, this review is a key opportunity to secure long overdue change.
But do that we have to keep the pressure up and bolster the advocacy of people championing change from within the Party.
Can you take a few minutes to send a personal email to the Liberal Party President urging him to make women's representation an internal priority?
Address your email to Federal President Richard Alston via [email protected]
Want to know what you should say?
Remember, that email address is [email protected]
Here are some tips for putting together a quick and effective email (because we know personal emails from voters have the most impact):
-
Introduce yourself - Explain who you are and why you care about this issue. If you're a Liberal member or Liberal voter be sure to mention it. If you're a swinging voter or former Liberal supporter that is also important to mention.
-
Explain the reason you're emailing - Let them know that you're aware that the Party is about to begin a review of this year's election. As part of that process you wanted to express your concern about the startlingly low level of women's representation amongst Liberal MPs You may want to mention:
- That more than 8 in 10 of federal Liberal MPs serving as our representatives in Canberra are now men.
- Senator Reynold's comment that 'the Liberal Party is recruiting and preselecting some amazing women, but unfortunately into mostly marginal or unwinnable seats',
- That you echo the federal executive's warning that the Liberal Party risks losing relevance if it doesn't lift women's participation, and address barriers to women rising within the party's ranks.
- Your support the recent federal recommendation that a 10-year national gender diversity reform program be administered by the federal director.
- Express your strong support for the Party to do more to address this issue; and urge Mr Alston to treat it as an internal priority.
- Mention that you would like to know what measures the Party plans to introduce to address this issue before the next federal election, and ask that somebody respond to your email to advise you of the outcomes of the review on this matter.
- Thank them for his time.
Once you've sent your email, please forward us a copy at [email protected] so we can keep track of all the powerful messages being sent.
Want to know more? (click to view)
There will now be just number of Liberal MPs serving in the federal Parliament is the lowest it has been since the 1993 election.
Earlier this year, the Liberal Party's federal executive announced it had adopted a target to have women comprising half of its MPs within a decade. Since then, three female Coalition MPs (Teresa Gambaro, Sharman Stone and Bronwyn Bishop) have stood down and been replaced with newly endorsed male candidates.
This election the party is expected to lose five of its female parliamentarians, with just two new female MPs elected.
-References-
Cultural change a must for Libs to get women in parliament, The Australian, 18 July 2016.
Liberal Party report calls for 50 per cent female representation, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 December 2015.