Senior women in the NSW Liberals are split over proposals to introduce quotas to improve the party’s gender representation, with opponents labelling a public petition to garner support for the idea as “disgraceful” in a private WhatsApp group.

Former Liberal vice president Teena McQueen levelled the accusation in the group, according to two sources familiar with its contents who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to party rules banning talking to the media. McQueen declined to comment.