David Crisafulli says LNP must recruit more female candidates

David Crisafulli says the LNP must become a “diverse political movement” and has pledged to recruit younger, more diverse and more female candidates.

The LNP must recruit younger, more diverse and more female candidates if it is to truly reflect Queensland, according to the party’s leader who has revealed he’s working on plans for real reform.

David Crisafulli today announced his intentions for the LNP as the party struggles with its election loss last year, internal renewal and as the nation grapples with workplace harassment and sexual assault in politics.

LNP leader David Crisafulli says it is important that the LNP becomes a “diverse political movement”. Picture: Dan Peled

Mr Crisafulli said it was clear following last week’s powerful March 4 Justice and the behaviour being unmasked in Canberra that real change must be made.

“I acknowledge that this is a conversation that started in our nation’s capital, but it’s one that we must have through every workplace in this land and that includes our workplace here,” Mr Crisafulli told parliament.

Thanking the female MPs and others who have spoken out to detail their own personal stories of sexual harassment and assault, he said it was “vital that we create a workplace here where quality and fairness and justice mean something to us all”.

“And so it is that I commit today the party I lead must reflect Queensland’s diversity and in the weeks ahead I will be laying out the initiatives I believe are essential to reform our party,” he said.

“One of them will be ensuring the party actively seeks younger, more diverse, and a larger portion of women for vacant seats.

“This is important. It’s important for us to be a diverse political movement.

“It is important for our parliament and it is important for the voice for those who have taken every ounce of strength to tell their stories – brave women, brave young men, brave people in society who have stood up for change – and we as a parliament and as a party must applaud and continue to reflect that.”

Mr Crisafulli’s comments came just hours after Prime Minister Scott Morrison indicated he was open to the consideration of quotas to increase female representation in politics.