7am The war inside the Liberal Party over quotas
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Jul 13, 2025 
In this discussion, Mike Seccombe, national correspondent for The Saturday Paper, dives into the Liberal Party's internal turmoil over gender quotas and representation. He highlights Sussan Ley's push for increased female participation amid resistance from conservative factions who view quotas as undemocratic. The conversation also touches on the party's aging demographics and the need to resonate with a younger electorate. Seccombe warns that without significant change, the party risks a 'spiral of disaster' that jeopardizes its future.
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Primaries To Broaden Candidate Appeal
- The NSW Liberal Party considers US-style primaries to select candidates which would involve the public voting.
- This approach aims to broaden candidate appeal beyond party insiders to the general electorate.
Challenges Of Primary Elections
- Primaries would be expensive and risk outside manipulation to select weaker candidates.
- They would also dilute the influence of party members, causing resentment among the grassroots and incumbents.
Old Demographic In Party Ranks
- The Liberal Party membership is mostly old white men, with an average age above 70 in NSW branches.
- This demographic limits candidate diversity and disconnects from the broader electorate, which is younger and more female.