Liberal MP calls for gender quotas

In a scathing badessment handed out Thursday during an interview with ABC, Mr. Riordan denied that the Liberals had a "woman's problem," but said the party needed to lift the women's representation and consider the situation. introduction of women's quotas.

"We need to expand our pool of candidates and, if necessary, have quotas to force it, anyway," Riordan said.

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"One of the central problems we have in the Liberal Party, whether it's a problem or a concept, is the Liberal Party, which has a hard time setting quotas or [having] everything that tells people how to vote.

"It's the only thing that always sends our members into anaphylaxis: they do not want to be told what to do."

Former Liberal leader Matthew Guy unveiled two years ago his intention to boost the party's female representation by 10% in each poll, by 37% in 2018 and by almost half by 2022.

However, he resisted suggestions that the party should impose quotas to offset the gender imbalance.

The proportion of Liberal women sitting in Parliament seems to have no more than three seats in the lower house out of 18, some of them filled by women.

Two other women, Louise Staley at Ripon and Heidi Victoria at Bayswater, are waiting to know if they will keep their seat as they progress.

Mr. Riordan agreed that women's representation was an "exclusive" problem for the Liberal Party, explaining his reluctance to support candidates for presidential elections and MPs.

"We need to put in place mechanisms that really value the people who raise their hands and we support them, and that's what we do not do," he said.

In the meantime, the main decision-making body of the Victoria Liberals, the executive committee, is about to accept an offer to sell from the party's CBD headquarters.

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L & # 39; age understands that last night the committee agreed to accept $ 37.1 million for the building at 104 Exhibition Street.

However, the decision to accept the offer was not unanimous.

Mr. Guy attended the meeting and is believed to have defended the performance of Liberal Party President Michael Kroger and Director Nick Demiris.

On Saturday night, after confirmation of the election results, former Prime Minister Jeff Kennett called on Mr. Kroger to resign immediately.

But at the Wednesday night meeting, it was made clear that neither Kroger nor Demiris would resign, which could exacerbate internal tensions, with many insiders calling for radical change from the top.

Federal Liberal MP Julia Banks also left the party on Wednesday after publishing intimidation charges when Malcolm Turnbull was fired from his premiership in August.

The deputy head of the southeastern suburbs, Chisholm, will now sit as an independent on the rostrum, thus plunging the coalition into a minority government.

"Equal representation of men and women in this parliament is an urgent imperative that will create a culture change," she told parliament.

"There is a rejection of quotas and the myth of merit, but it's more than a game of numbers. In both major parties, the level of respect and respect for women in politics is years behind the business community.