Bronnie Taylor says women overlooked for promotions in Berejiklian government

The highest-ranked woman in state government has raised concerns about the lack of women in cabinet, calling for them to be given more opportunities in higher office.

The highest-ranked woman in the Perrottet government has taken a swipe at the NSW Liberals saying women were not given opportunities under Gladys Berejiklian.

Deputy Nationals leader Bronnie Taylor said the Liberal party needed to promote women to leadership positions, noting that for much of Ms Berejiklian’s final term it was “such a shame that it was only one woman and Gladys”.

Ms Taylor, who is Mental Health Minister, Minister for Women and was elected deputy Nationals Leader last month, will now demand the NSW government publish gender-based data in a publicly available database and update it monthly.

Dubbed the NSW Gender Equality Dashboard, Ms Taylor worked for over a year to pull together publicly available data in one place, making it easier for policy makers to see blatant gender gaps.

Bronnie Taylor is the new deputy leader of the NSW Nationals. Picture: David Swift

Housed on the Women NSW website, Ms Taylor’s passion project replaces government reports with interactive data on issues including workforce participation, motherhood, the gender pay gap, and women’s health issues.

It is a policy position that will rile some of her conservative colleagues who argue the government should not focus on identity politics.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Ms Taylor told how being a mum of two daughters and a former breast cancer nurse had sharpened her view about supporting women, particularly after many lost jobs or suffered career setbacks in the pandemic.

Ms Taylor says former Premier Gladys Berejiklian did not give enough women a chance. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

CABINET BALANCE

On women in her own cabinet, she said Dominic Perrottet had inherited a team where women were not given the chance to rise to the top.

“If they want real change, and they want to see women in those leadership positions, they have to promote them,” she said.

“And women when they get in those positions, they need to promote other women, based on merit.

“At the end of the day, they need to be given the opportunity and they haven’t been. (It was) one female, one, and Gladys.”

Following the 2019 election, Ms Berejiklian and local government Minister Shelley Hancock were the only Liberal women in cabinet for much of Ms Berejiklian's final term as leader.

Sports Minister Natalie Ward was sworn in just months before the end of Ms Berejiklian's tenure — leaving the tally of female Liberal cabinet ministers now sitting at two.

Ms Taylor with her daughters, Holly, 23 (centre) and Hannah, 25 (right). Picture: David Swift

PERROTTET’S PLAN

It’s an issue Mr Perrottet was pressed on during a budget estimates hearing by Labor MP Penny Sharpe where he said gender imbalance in cabinet was an issue he “inherited”.

“I have inherited the current cabinet,” he said. “I’d like to see more women being preselected and being candidates for the Liberal Party. And ultimately, I’d like to see more women in the cabinet.”

Ms Taylor launched a defence of Mr Perrottet’s own record on supporting women, praising him for tackling how the pandemic disproportionately hurt female workers.

Mum to daughters Hannah and Holly, she said her girls shape everything she does as a politician.

“It impacts everything that you do. It drives me every day because I want to set that example for them, that they can do anything.

“I want a better world for my girls.”

WOMEN’S POLICIES

Ms Taylor said her eldest daughter is a passionate feminist who had raised concerns about abortion rights under Mr Perrottet when he took the top job.

“She was very concerned about (the abortion legislation),” Ms Taylor recalled.

Mr Perrottet opposed the decriminalisation of abortion in 2019.

“(Hannah) said to me ‘Well I’m concerned about the new Premier because how is he going to feel about that. Is he going to reverse it?’

“And I said, ‘absolutely not’. That’s why we have a democracy.”

Backing his credentials in supporting women, Ms Taylor said during the Covid lockdowns, Mr Perrottet was the only member of cabinet who approached her about looking at policies to help women.

“The current Premier, who was the former Treasurer, was the only member of government that came to me as Minister for Women and asked me, ‘what are we doing for women in the pandemic?’,” she said.

Ms Taylor says Premier Dominic Perrottet has been concerned for women during the pandemic. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone

Ms Taylor revealed that she confronted senior ministers angry that none of them besides Dominic Perrottet had bothered to ask how to support women in the pandemic.

“I have actually sat in a senior meeting, and I’ve looked at all of them in the eye and said, ‘the only person that came to me was the Premier (then Treasurer Perrottet) and that’s got to change’,” she said.

Ms Taylor said there is an “acute awareness” in the Perrottet regime that addressing women’s policy issues will be critical, particularly following the departure of Ms Berejiklian who resoundingly won the mum voter demographic at the last election. One of the first non-Covid policies under the new regime will be supporting women to work by enhancing spending on childcare.

Ms Taylor also fears the public fallout of Ms Berejiklian’s disastrous relationship with Daryl Maguire will act as a deterrent for women aspiring to a seat at a political table.

“The only word I can use is disappointing. Everyone has to be really open about declaring conflicts. It’s something we are taught,” she said.