Last night on ABC’s 7:30 report, Christopher Pyne did what Christopher Pyne does best.
He convinced us all, one more time, that thinking like a dinosaur need not be a barrier to climbing to the highest echelons of power in Australia. Indeed, it’s a pre-requisite.
Here’s what Pyne said when asked about the lack of female representation in parliament within the Coalition.
“I don't believe in quotas and I don't believe in targets, but I do believe in people being elected on the basis of merit. But of course, if merit isn't achieving the outcome that you want, then other measures need to be looked at to ensure that we are attracting women to Parliament.”
Cue the tumbleweeds and crickets…
The issue came up because during the ALP’s national conference over the weekend, the party agreed to set a target of 50 per cent representation in 2025.
The ALP is streaks ahead of the Coalition, because it set targets and quotas years ago. Already 45 per cent of its members are women. The Coalition has just 22 per cent.
But the Liberals don’t believe in quotas and targets.
In that spirit, we’ve prepared a short video for Christopher and the Liberals. Ironically, it makes a fairly strong case on the basis of merit. It's worth sticking it out until the end… and if you can't make it that far, You should consider joining the Liberal Party.
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