‘Women problem’ Coalition’s biggest flaw after aged care at last election
Australians think “the treatment of women in politics” was the second biggest weakness for the Coalition at the federal election behind “the state of aged care”, a new survey reveals.
Australians think “the treatment of women in politics” was the second biggest weakness for the Coalition at the federal election behind “the state of aged care”, a new survey reveals.
Analysis of exit polls by The Australia Institute also showed women were up to 10 percentage points less likely to vote for the Coalition than men in an election that saw five female independents oust their Liberal male counterparts.
Of 20 options of weaknesses that led to the Coalition’s defeat, 66 per cent of the 1400 people surveyed responded that it was the treatment of women, behind 67 per cent who said they believed it was aged care.
Fewer than 10 per cent responded that the treatment of women in politics was “a strength” for the party.
Other weaknesses identified were the government failing to legislate a national integrity commission, former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and the handling of bushfires and other national disasters.
There was a seven-percentage-point gap between the male and female Coalition primary vote in the exit poll, on 37 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
Three weeks after the election, the gap widened to 10 percentage points, with 28 per cent of women saying they would vote for the Coalition, compared with 38 per cent of male voters.
The treatment of women was a big issue for the Morrison government after former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she had been raped in Parliament House, sparking new calls for the Coalition to change the workplace culture in the building and set the standard for the nation.
The comments of then prime minister Scott Morrison, who said his wife, Jenny, and her “way of clarifying things” had helped him to understand the gravity of the situation and consider the situation as a father, were met with outrage.
Mr Morrison’s response to the women’s marches across the country, prompted largely by Ms Higgins’ allegations, that the protesters were lucky to be in a country where they were not met by “bullets” further damaged the Coalition’s reputation for its handling over the treatment of women.
Deputy director of The Australia Institute Ebony Bennett said the research following the federal election showed the Coalition “still has a lot of ground to make up with Australian women voters”.
“This research shows it’s little wonder Liberal Party senators like Linda Reynolds are publicly voicing concern that the Coalition had its worst result in 30 years for female representation in the House of Representatives,” she said.
Senator Reynolds, the former defence minister, urged her party to consider quotas earlier this month, The Australian revealed.
Her analysis revealed the May election had resulted in the lowest number of female Liberal MPs entering the House of Representatives since 1993.
Just nine of the Liberal Party’s 42 members in the lower house are women, while 10 of the 26 senators are female.
Liberal deputy leader Sussan Ley said the party’s 2025 target of 50 per cent female representation should remain and confirmed she supported gender quotas. Ms Ley said the party’s selection process was ultimately up to members.
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