Senior Libs’ internal warfare over gender quotas

Explosive leaked WhatsApp messages from a Liberal Party discussion group have revealed that senior party members are in open warfare over a push for gender quotas. READ THE MESSAGES

Explosive leaked WhatsApp messages from a Liberal Party chat group have revealed senior party members are in open warfare over a push for gender quotas, with former female vice president Teena McQueen declaring “FFS … no one struggling to pay the bills cares one bit about quotas” and questioning “what absolute moron” was behind the move.

The debate on a Liberal Party “quotas v merit” group erupted after a meeting of the party’s NSW Women’s Council on Wednesday night, which had discussed a proposal to boost female representation in parliament by creating gender quotas with enforceable expiry dates.

The WhatsApp members expressed vigorous outrage at a petition for gender quotes started in May, which many only became aware of when it was shared in the group.

Ms McQueen was the most outspoken, labelling it “disgraceful” and “unbelievable”: “40 yrs in the Party and have never seen anything like this!!!!”

The veteran Liberal declined to comment when contacted by The Daily Telegraph. However, it’s understood Ms McQueen took issue with the petition being set up on a public website, outside of the party.

She later wrote in the chat: “FFS … no one struggling to pay the bills cares one bit about quotas … What absolute moron is behind this.”

Another senior Liberal woman contributed: “I’m clutching my pearls, could also grab my knitting too as it calms the emotions when you are seriously pissed off”.

Teena McQueen at a tribute dinner for former prime minister Tony Abbott in 2019. Picture: AAP Image

The petition was created by Liberal Charlotte Mortlock — also a member of the WhatsApp group — who has championed moves to get more women into the party, including founding the Hilma’s Network movement aimed at bolstering female representation.

“Did anyone bother to read the petition?” Ms Mortlock questioned the chat members.

“If you did, you would know who started it. It was myself + a few others. As for the pearl clutching re publicly calling for quotas, and it being the most disgraceful this anyone in the party has seen, I think there’s tough competition on the leaderboard …”, sending a series of media articles highlighting past controversies linked to the party.

Ms Mortlock also declined to comment on the controversy, other than saying “it was a private WhatsApp group where people were engaging in robust conversation”.

Ms Mortlock’s petition has been co-signed by NSW Liberal Women’s Council president Berenice Walker and vice-president Adelaide Cuneo, and former NSW minister Rob Stokes and wife Sophie.

It wasn’t just the female party members party takes sides on how to solve the so-called ‘problem with women’.

The leaked chat messages have exposed the extent of Liberal infighting. Picture: AAP

One male Liberal against quotas pointed to former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian as an example who rose to the top job on her own merits.

“Gladys didn’t become Premier because the party room thought we needed a female, she became Premier because she was the better option and was a great deputy under Mike Baird.”

Former Young Liberal Alex Dore described the petition as “embarrassing” in the WhatsApp group.

“I’m sorry but how embarrassing is this. A public petition about internal Party matters that publicly invites non-Liberals and non-Members to sign up to pressure the party to sign up to illiberal quotas.

“Should we invite Kevin Rudd and Penny Wong to run the next review into the Liberal Party?

“I’m actually speechless.”

Charlotte Mortlock wants to bolster female representation in the Libs. Picture: John Feder

Alex Dore said the petition and WhatsApp group left him speechless. Picture: John Feder

When contacted by The Telegraph, Mr Dore doubled down.

“A petition which allows Labor and Greens voters to voice their opinions on Liberal Party reform via public petition is like inviting pirates into the wheelhouse,” he said.

Shortly after The Telegraph first revealed the leaked messages on Thursday, Strathfield Mayor John-Paul Baladi was among those querying where the leaks had come from.

“Well we all know who leaks to Linda Sidmalis (sic) … I would never leak anything I am always happy to put my name to a story,” he wrote in the chat.

After one member suggested the group should review the comments on The Daily Telegraph’s article to see what “real people out there think”, Mr Baladi said: “iIt’s important to know what “real” Aussies think. That’s because people want to feel represented and heard, which they don’t with the current lot running our party.”

Mr Baladi, when contacted by The Telegraph, said the WhatsApp group was for Liberal members to “privately engage in what should be robust discussion of our future and how we can move forward from our devastating loss in May”.

“It’s a shame some people are choosing to leak those discussions and weaponise fellow Liberal members’ commentary,” he said.

The leaked spat came in the wake of ongoing debate about the number of women in the Liberal Party after its dismal federal election result left just six women in the lower house.

Federal Liberal leader Sussan Ley, who described herself as a “zealot” for recruiting more women into the party, has left the door open to state divisions introducing quotas, while fellow federal MP Maria Kovacic has expressly called for the change as a temporary measure.

Hunters Hill Liberal councillor Carla Kassab said it was disappointing that some people felts ‘the need to demonise men’.

Ms Ley’s one-time opponent for the leadership, Angus Taylor, has opposed the push, warning it would “subvert democratic processes”.

The outcome of Wednesday’s meeting will result in further work being done on a quota proposal being formed, which could be taken to a new seven-person administration committee put in place to run the NSW Liberal division.

The group debate continued into Thursday night, with another woman saying it would “demonise” men.

“I find it incredibly unhelpful and disappointing that some people feel the need to demonise the men of our party and subsequently make the assertion that all men in the Liberal Party won’t support quotas for women or women more generally,” Hunters Hill councillor Carla Kassab, who declined to comment when contacted by The Telegraph, said.

This is the latest leak from the Liberals, after former admin committee member Alan Stockdale triggered anger at a meeting of the women’s council last month, when he suggested “reverse quotas” could be needed for men in the party because women had become “sufficiently assertive”.

He later apologised for the comments.

Originally published as Senior Libs’ internal warfare over gender quotas