Calls for Gender Quotas to Boost Liberal Party's Election Chances

According to former Liberal MP Jenny Ware, the opposition party must implement gender quotas for candidate selection in order to remain competitive and win future elections. Ware, who lost her seat of Hughes in the 2025 election, believes the Liberal party is currently "at crisis point" and cannot be successful without putting forward candidates who better reflect the broader makeup of the Australian community.

Ware's comments come after the party's secret election review was tabled in parliament by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese this week, which reportedly contained "grim" assessments of the party's campaign strategies and policies. Ware described the lack of the party's own public review as "deeply embarrassing".

The former MP argues that the Liberal party must take decisive action to address the imbalance in its candidate selection, which currently does not adequately represent the gender diversity of the Australian population. Gender quotas, Ware suggests, would be a necessary step to ensuring the party can once again be competitive at election time.

Ware's call for reform within the Liberal party comes at a critical juncture, as the opposition grapples with how to rebuild and reconnect with voters after its devastating 2025 loss. The party's internal review has reportedly laid bare the challenges it faces, from strategy missteps to questionable policy decisions.

As the Liberal party considers its path forward, the issue of gender representation will likely be a key point of discussion. Ware's stance underscores the belief that the party must take meaningful steps to address the imbalance in its candidate selection if it hopes to regain the trust of the electorate and return to government.

The road ahead for the Liberal party is undoubtedly a difficult one, but Ware's call for gender quotas represents a recognition that bold action may be necessary to address the party's structural and cultural challenges. Whether the party embraces this recommendation remains to be seen, but the stakes for its future success could not be higher.