Labor NSW election candidates say Liberals are ‘blatantly failing female candidates’
Women from the ALP were out in force for a state election campaign event on Tuesday, saying they planned to put females first should Labor win in NSW.
Inner West
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The who’s who of inner-Sydney Labor women were out in force on Tuesday for a state election campaign event, with the “night and day” contrast between the ALP and the Liberals’ approach to female candidates on stark display, with one candidate saying they “blatantly and transparently have a problem selecting women”.
After it was revealed on Monday a number of current or former Liberals — from both the state and federal arms of the party — said women faced discrimination informally from party members as well as in the formal preselection, the ALP’s seemingly superior ability to endorse female candidates was on display in Sydney’s Inner West.
It follows Minister David Elliott accusing his own party of throwing “women under the bus” and Treasurer Matt Kean declaring they were putting “testosterone before talent” after the party’s most senior woman in parliament, Minister Natalie Ward, lost a preselection vote to who he described as a “junior staffer”.
At a campaign event for Drummoyne ALP candidate Julia Little, the full slate of the area’s female representatives and candidates – from local government to federal and state parliament – was present to support the party’s bid to reclaim the state electorate.
“We have so many talented women coming through the ranks and it is a joy to be out supporting them,” Labor’s Balmain candidate Philippa Scott said.
Deputy state Labor leader Prue Car and federal member for Reid, Sally Sitou, were also in attendance, alongside a number of former and serving female councillors from Strathfield, Concord and Canada Bay.
“This is Labor women supporting Labor women,” Ms Scott said.
“It’s night and day between the two major parties – the Liberals have a blatant and transparent problem with selecting women.
“They are being failed by their party, and it’s really problematic.”
Ms Car said the Liberal Party seemed to be blind to some of the lessons of the federal election.
“The federal election showed people actually like voting for hardworking local women who really care about issues in the community,” she said.
“And we’re getting proof daily that Dominic Perrottet’s Liberals just don’t understand parliament actually has to represent the communities of modern NSW.”
Ms Sitou, who shared a flat with Ms Little in Canberra when they were both former staffers, said the candidate “was totally committed to supporting the community” while the issues the Liberals were wrestling with was something Labor had previously fought.
“What the Liberal party is going through we went through a battle about 30 years ago,” she said in relation to endorsing female candidates.
“And it was a tough battle, but the intervening 30 years showed what you can achieve when you have more women in parliament.
“Paid parental leave and childcare reforms – these are just some of the things that happen when you have more women at the decision-making table.
“Women at the decision-making table should not be extraordinary, it’s just the way a Labor government operates.”
Both Ms Little and Ms Scott were endorsed in September, whereas the Liberal endorsement for Drummoyne is not expected before January 26.
Local Liberal sources have said they’ve been left in the dark about how the process was moving forward.
Ms Little, who has been on the City of Canada Bay Council since 2017, said the party wanted to ensure an accurate representation of society could get elected.
“I started off in council because of the party’s affirmative action policy, because there was a need for female representation in local government,” she said.
“And the more women are seen putting themselves forward and getting elected, it helps others believe they can do it, too.”
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