by NAZIYA ALVI RAHMAN – SENIOR NSW Liberal Alan Stockdale said women in the Party were “so assertive” that men needed special rules to get preselected.
In response, however, Federal Liberal Leader Sussan Ley has said there is “nothing wrong with being an assertive woman”.
- Women in the Liberal Party are so assertive now that it may need special rules for men.
- Mr Stockdale made his comments during a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women’s Council last week.
During a recent NSW Liberal Party meeting, Mr Stockdale suggested the party might need “special rules for men” to secure preselection.
Ley, who recently became the first female leader of the federal parliamentary Liberal Party, condemned the remarks, calling them out of step with the values the Party must embrace to remain relevant.
WRONG
“There is nothing wrong with being an assertive woman – in fact, I encourage assertive women to join the Liberal Party,” she said in a statement.
She added that the Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia. In other words, it must recognise the strength, merit and leadership of the women within its ranks.
Mr Stockdale made his comments during a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women’s Council last week.
A former Victorian treasurer and federal Party president, Mr Stockdale was appointed as external administrator of the troubled NSW division last year.
According to a Daily Telegraph report, he told attendees, “The women in this Party are so assertive now that we may need some special rules for men to get them preselected.”
He later described the line as a “light-hearted but poorly chosen remark”.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in, describing the remarks as symptomatic of deeper structural issues within the Liberal Party.
“That someone would suggest the need for discrimination in favour of men because women are too assertive – and to say that to a group of Liberal women – is rightly being met with derision,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Canberra.
“The Liberal Party needs to have a good look at themselves and their structures,” he added.
The incident comes as the Liberal Party continues efforts to win back female voters, who have drifted away in large numbers over the past two federal elections, according to the internal and public polls.
In both 2022 and 2025, polling showed a significant gender gap, with women leaning more heavily toward Labor and independents, particularly in urban electorates.
The Party has since launched multiple initiatives aimed at improving female representation.PC
