Senior Liberal party figures reject claims support is growing for US-style primaries for preselections and say the issue is “distracting” from discussion on quotas, but the New South Wales Liberal Women’s Council president says the idea merits further investigation.
In the US, both Democrats and Republicans use primaries. Rules vary across states, and can be open (to any registered voter), closed (requiring party registration) or a mix of both. There can be thousands of participants, leading to high levels of voter engagement.
Supporters among the Liberals believe primaries would allow local communities to choose and be better engaged with their candidate, and level the playing field for women who might be disadvantaged by current party structures.
Some Liberals, including the shadow attorney general, Julian Leeser, have long backed the proposal. But one NSW Liberal, who asked not to be named in order to speak freely, said they believed opponents of gender quotas were using the “ridiculous” idea as a distraction.
“The primary problem … is that we have a gender imbalance,” they said.
They also said primaries were “risky”, with too many “structural problems”, and that the cost of running primaries would lock some potential candidates out.
Neither the Liberals nor Labor, they said, would have the money to implement primaries in the style of the US.
Another party figure, who did not want to comment publicly, criticised the idea, calling it “a classic bait and switch to avert the subject of quotas”.
A third NSW Liberal source, who did not wish to take a public stance on local primaries, said they were not aware of the idea being discussed at state branch or leadership meetings.
The state Women’s Council president, Berenice Walker, said the idea of primaries was worth looking into, but that the council was more focused on quotas.
“[The] suggestion of community primaries is worth further investigation,” she told Guardian Australia.
“[But] quotas are getting broader support around the party. Members are quite pragmatic about how to increase women’s participation and are open to a range of solutions.”
In June, Leeser told the ABC that community primaries were an opportunity for candidates to build and demonstrate “actual community support”.
“I think it completely levels the playing field,” he said. “Women often don’t have the time to put into the years of building up support within a party that men do – because often women are juggling family and other responsibilities, and party structures are less friendly to women.”
Former long-serving Liberal MP Karen Andrews has also supported primaries.
When Andrews announced her retirement, no women stood up for preselection to replace her in her south-east Queensland seat of McPherson.
Andrews said the teal independent movement showed how direct community engagement can increase support across the electorate.
“[With] a different style of preselection where the community was engaged, you’re more likely to have a greater level of commitment from the community.”
The federal Liberal leader, Sussan Ley, has said she is “agnostic” about what approach the party takes to increase female representation. Her deputy, Ted O’Brien, told the media on Tuesday “all ideas are welcome”.
The shadow minister for women, Melissa McIntosh, said in recent days that any reforms must include deeper cultural change within the party.
McIntosh would not say if she supported US-style primaries, but has publicised her support for a “candidate pool” model, similar to that introduced by former UK leader David Cameron to increase female and multicultural representation in the party.
Sally Betts, a former Liberal mayor of Waverley and prominent moderate in Wentworth, said party reforms should focus on members and giving them value.
Betts said that in her experience, preselections, which under the current rules are open to all members of a branch, often involved only a fraction of the members.
“We are a member-based organisation. When are we going to look after members and encourage them to participate?”
As a result of changes introduced by Tony Abbott, all Liberal branch party members are now entitled to vote in preselections, sometimes referred to as plebiscites. Previously, candidates were chosen by a panel that was a mix of party members and party officials.
She said preselection for Vaucluse held relatively early after the new plebiscite rules had attracted about 100 members to participate, out of a possible 600, reflecting a the party’s more pressing problem – internal engagement.
“We should perhaps make it easier to register and encourage our members to participate.”
Former NSW Liberal party president Jason Falinksi said the floating of possible US-style primaries was “yet another example of us talking about ourselves” and he did not believe the model would improve diverse representation in the party.
“Not a single part of this proposal helps us represent the people who are desperate for representation. We would spend yet more resources talking to ourselves while ignoring the very people who need our help and representation.”
