Union leaders back corrupt CFMEU boss at May Day rally
Union leaders have used the annual May Day rally, meant to celebrate the struggles of the labour movement, to back corrupt CFMEU NSW leader Darren Greenfield just days after he admitted to taking thousands of dollars in bribes from a boss in return for favourable union treatment.
International Transport Federation coordinator Paul McAleer, an ex-Maritime Union of Australia secretary now representing hundreds of thousands of wharfies in the Asia Pacific, told a rally of 1000 workers on Thursday that Greenfield was 'fearless' and he would stand by him 'forever'.
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The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Opposition leader welcomes 'assertive women' to party
The opposition leader has encouraged "assertive women" to join the Liberals, hitting back at controversial comments made by a party elder. Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the federal coalition, said her party must reflect a modern Australia after the Liberal's former federal president Alan Stockdale reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "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 on Thursday. "The Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia and that means recognising the strength, merit and leadership of the women in our ranks." Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the comments at the women's executive gathering on Tuesday night. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," the 80-year-old told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women's Council, the Daily Telegraph reported. He later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." The Liberals have long been accused of having a "women problem" as female candidates are often placed in unwinnable positions and the party has lost support from female voter bases. This was laid bare at its landslide federal election loss in May. During the campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties. The NSW division of the Liberal party, in particular, has been in turmoil after it failed to nominate more than 140 candidates for the state-wide local government elections in September. The federal Liberals soon took over and appointed three figures, including Mr Stockdale, to oversee the party's state affairs. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk joined forces to condemn Mr Stockdale's remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." The opposition leader has encouraged "assertive women" to join the Liberals, hitting back at controversial comments made by a party elder. Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the federal coalition, said her party must reflect a modern Australia after the Liberal's former federal president Alan Stockdale reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "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 on Thursday. "The Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia and that means recognising the strength, merit and leadership of the women in our ranks." Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the comments at the women's executive gathering on Tuesday night. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," the 80-year-old told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women's Council, the Daily Telegraph reported. He later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." The Liberals have long been accused of having a "women problem" as female candidates are often placed in unwinnable positions and the party has lost support from female voter bases. This was laid bare at its landslide federal election loss in May. During the campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties. The NSW division of the Liberal party, in particular, has been in turmoil after it failed to nominate more than 140 candidates for the state-wide local government elections in September. The federal Liberals soon took over and appointed three figures, including Mr Stockdale, to oversee the party's state affairs. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk joined forces to condemn Mr Stockdale's remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." The opposition leader has encouraged "assertive women" to join the Liberals, hitting back at controversial comments made by a party elder. Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the federal coalition, said her party must reflect a modern Australia after the Liberal's former federal president Alan Stockdale reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "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 on Thursday. "The Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia and that means recognising the strength, merit and leadership of the women in our ranks." Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the comments at the women's executive gathering on Tuesday night. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," the 80-year-old told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women's Council, the Daily Telegraph reported. He later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." The Liberals have long been accused of having a "women problem" as female candidates are often placed in unwinnable positions and the party has lost support from female voter bases. This was laid bare at its landslide federal election loss in May. During the campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties. The NSW division of the Liberal party, in particular, has been in turmoil after it failed to nominate more than 140 candidates for the state-wide local government elections in September. The federal Liberals soon took over and appointed three figures, including Mr Stockdale, to oversee the party's state affairs. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk joined forces to condemn Mr Stockdale's remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." The opposition leader has encouraged "assertive women" to join the Liberals, hitting back at controversial comments made by a party elder. Sussan Ley, the first female leader of the federal coalition, said her party must reflect a modern Australia after the Liberal's former federal president Alan Stockdale reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "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 on Thursday. "The Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia and that means recognising the strength, merit and leadership of the women in our ranks." Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the comments at the women's executive gathering on Tuesday night. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," the 80-year-old told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women's Council, the Daily Telegraph reported. He later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." The Liberals have long been accused of having a "women problem" as female candidates are often placed in unwinnable positions and the party has lost support from female voter bases. This was laid bare at its landslide federal election loss in May. During the campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties. The NSW division of the Liberal party, in particular, has been in turmoil after it failed to nominate more than 140 candidates for the state-wide local government elections in September. The federal Liberals soon took over and appointed three figures, including Mr Stockdale, to oversee the party's state affairs. Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk joined forces to condemn Mr Stockdale's remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men."
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Liberal men want a leg up? How about a boot back to the 18th century where they belong
Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This is the language I reserve for polite company. And that polite phrase is probably being muttered in the homes of many a Liberal this week as news of the latest party faux pas filters through. Worse than nuclear. Worse than work-from-home. These, at least, were policies devised after deliberation (I think) and collaboration (I hope). That's how it's supposed to happen in modern, successful political parties. But on Tuesday night, something totally unscripted blew up. There was yet another virtual meeting, this time with the NSW Liberal Women's Council, to figure out how to save the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, in trouble because it failed to nominate folks for local council elections in 2024. Any folks at all. Anyhow, it was Peter Dutton's idea to mount a federal takeover in order to review the NSW branch (seriously, he should have looked a little closer to home). Doing most of the talking was ex-Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale. He and his co-conspirator former Victorian senator Richard Alston sat themselves in front of a portrait of the Liberal Party's founding father. Guess they thought Robert Menzies would give them gravitas. The hilariously unkind SMH journalist Alex Smith who broke the story described them as having a combined age of 164. Anyhow, Stockdale said something along the lines of ... women are now "sufficiently assertive" in the Liberal Party that it is probably time to start giving blokes a leg up. Hahahahahaha. Also, aargghh. But these blokes, accompanied by their silent partner, Peta Seaton, want an extension of the term of their review. If I were Sussan Ley, I'd send them back to where they came from. The 18th century. Now it's clear to even the most casual reader of my columns that my politics in no way align with the Liberal Party. But I have written many a column supporting women in the Liberal Party because in every instance, women deserve the same opportunities as those offered to men. And for some unfathomable reason, the Liberal Party doesn't treat women in the same way as it treats men. Which, in some ways, is good for the rest of us. Unless it starts to accept women as equal participants, it is unlikely it will ever again get much traction in a country where women hold up (more than) half the sky. Among women, this comment by Stockdale further trashes the Liberal brand. As one woman, a longtime member of the Liberal Party, told me on Wednesday night after news of the "leg up" incident had broken: "It is both aggravating and tiresome at the same time. I want to scream, and also just walk away as so many have before me." She says: "I'm not the least bit surprised by what's described in the article. These blokes are dinosaurs. And while the offensive comments were by Stockdale, not Alston, they could just have easily been Alston." Misogynist men in the Liberal Party are apparently interchangeable. And it is baked in. Let me tell you the story of a woman who'd been chief of staff in a Liberal member's office. After the birth of her kid, her former boss suggested she work as an electoral officer, on about one-third of her previous salary. He said, to her face: "But it's a second income." Jesus fellas. This is not how it works anymore. When women work, they need the money as much as they need the work. It's not disposable. It's indispensable. Another Liberal woman tells me she offered to help with the review of the Liberal Party after the election loss in 2022. Hilariously, she tells me that when she called to throw herself into the mix for membership of the review, she explained she had insight into why the teals were stealing Liberal seats. "Let's face it, most of my friends are teal voters and I'm somewhat partial to them myself," she laughs. But the bloke she talked to basically dismissed her. He said to her: "If you have any feedback, send an email to the Vic state director." "I couldn't even reply, I was so pissed off at being dismissed and yet again not seriously considered." Let me take you back to 2021. It was already clear then, a year out from the 2022 federal election, that the Coalition was on the nose with women. Three separate polling organisations revealed a sharp shift of women away from the government: Essential, Resolve Monitor, NewsPoll. And why? For once, all women could agree. The way that former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, allegedly raped in Parliament House, was treated by those in the then Coalition government was appalling. If this was how the government treated one of its own, how would it treat others? As former Liberal MP Julia Banks, in her tell-some memoir Power Play: Breaking Through Bias, Barriers and Boys' Clubs, put it, "The painful experience for this woman was compounded by the Morrison government's incompetence, mismanagement and lack of accountability and humanity." Higgins, miraculously, has survived that mayhem and has now landed a gig with the lovely Hannah Moreno at Third Hemisphere. But not everyone survives. Higgins barely did. But the Liberals did not survive their rejection by women, not in 2022 and not in 2025. And they won't recover if they don't change. READ MORE: Which, sure, I am chill about. Who wants a party which says we can't work from home? Who wants a party which says nuclear power is the way forward? Hey babes, by the time you get back into power, in say, 2040, the renewables war will have been won. Please put your reactors back in your pants. My advice to you is this. You can't wait for the Stockdales and the Alstons to die. Blokes with plenty of money can afford the kind of healthcare which will keep them alive and kicking for years ahead. But the problem is they are not capable of changing. In the meantime, the Liberal Party itself may die. Want it to change? Sign yourselves up to Hilma's Network. Its founder, Charlotte Mortlock, launched a petition calling on the party to establish gender quotas. And push for them. That's what helped the Labor Party change. If the Liberals ever want to be in power again, they need to change too. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This is the language I reserve for polite company. And that polite phrase is probably being muttered in the homes of many a Liberal this week as news of the latest party faux pas filters through. Worse than nuclear. Worse than work-from-home. These, at least, were policies devised after deliberation (I think) and collaboration (I hope). That's how it's supposed to happen in modern, successful political parties. But on Tuesday night, something totally unscripted blew up. There was yet another virtual meeting, this time with the NSW Liberal Women's Council, to figure out how to save the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, in trouble because it failed to nominate folks for local council elections in 2024. Any folks at all. Anyhow, it was Peter Dutton's idea to mount a federal takeover in order to review the NSW branch (seriously, he should have looked a little closer to home). Doing most of the talking was ex-Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale. He and his co-conspirator former Victorian senator Richard Alston sat themselves in front of a portrait of the Liberal Party's founding father. Guess they thought Robert Menzies would give them gravitas. The hilariously unkind SMH journalist Alex Smith who broke the story described them as having a combined age of 164. Anyhow, Stockdale said something along the lines of ... women are now "sufficiently assertive" in the Liberal Party that it is probably time to start giving blokes a leg up. Hahahahahaha. Also, aargghh. But these blokes, accompanied by their silent partner, Peta Seaton, want an extension of the term of their review. If I were Sussan Ley, I'd send them back to where they came from. The 18th century. Now it's clear to even the most casual reader of my columns that my politics in no way align with the Liberal Party. But I have written many a column supporting women in the Liberal Party because in every instance, women deserve the same opportunities as those offered to men. And for some unfathomable reason, the Liberal Party doesn't treat women in the same way as it treats men. Which, in some ways, is good for the rest of us. Unless it starts to accept women as equal participants, it is unlikely it will ever again get much traction in a country where women hold up (more than) half the sky. Among women, this comment by Stockdale further trashes the Liberal brand. As one woman, a longtime member of the Liberal Party, told me on Wednesday night after news of the "leg up" incident had broken: "It is both aggravating and tiresome at the same time. I want to scream, and also just walk away as so many have before me." She says: "I'm not the least bit surprised by what's described in the article. These blokes are dinosaurs. And while the offensive comments were by Stockdale, not Alston, they could just have easily been Alston." Misogynist men in the Liberal Party are apparently interchangeable. And it is baked in. Let me tell you the story of a woman who'd been chief of staff in a Liberal member's office. After the birth of her kid, her former boss suggested she work as an electoral officer, on about one-third of her previous salary. He said, to her face: "But it's a second income." Jesus fellas. This is not how it works anymore. When women work, they need the money as much as they need the work. It's not disposable. It's indispensable. Another Liberal woman tells me she offered to help with the review of the Liberal Party after the election loss in 2022. Hilariously, she tells me that when she called to throw herself into the mix for membership of the review, she explained she had insight into why the teals were stealing Liberal seats. "Let's face it, most of my friends are teal voters and I'm somewhat partial to them myself," she laughs. But the bloke she talked to basically dismissed her. He said to her: "If you have any feedback, send an email to the Vic state director." "I couldn't even reply, I was so pissed off at being dismissed and yet again not seriously considered." Let me take you back to 2021. It was already clear then, a year out from the 2022 federal election, that the Coalition was on the nose with women. Three separate polling organisations revealed a sharp shift of women away from the government: Essential, Resolve Monitor, NewsPoll. And why? For once, all women could agree. The way that former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, allegedly raped in Parliament House, was treated by those in the then Coalition government was appalling. If this was how the government treated one of its own, how would it treat others? As former Liberal MP Julia Banks, in her tell-some memoir Power Play: Breaking Through Bias, Barriers and Boys' Clubs, put it, "The painful experience for this woman was compounded by the Morrison government's incompetence, mismanagement and lack of accountability and humanity." Higgins, miraculously, has survived that mayhem and has now landed a gig with the lovely Hannah Moreno at Third Hemisphere. But not everyone survives. Higgins barely did. But the Liberals did not survive their rejection by women, not in 2022 and not in 2025. And they won't recover if they don't change. READ MORE: Which, sure, I am chill about. Who wants a party which says we can't work from home? Who wants a party which says nuclear power is the way forward? Hey babes, by the time you get back into power, in say, 2040, the renewables war will have been won. Please put your reactors back in your pants. My advice to you is this. You can't wait for the Stockdales and the Alstons to die. Blokes with plenty of money can afford the kind of healthcare which will keep them alive and kicking for years ahead. But the problem is they are not capable of changing. In the meantime, the Liberal Party itself may die. Want it to change? Sign yourselves up to Hilma's Network. Its founder, Charlotte Mortlock, launched a petition calling on the party to establish gender quotas. And push for them. That's what helped the Labor Party change. If the Liberals ever want to be in power again, they need to change too. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This is the language I reserve for polite company. And that polite phrase is probably being muttered in the homes of many a Liberal this week as news of the latest party faux pas filters through. Worse than nuclear. Worse than work-from-home. These, at least, were policies devised after deliberation (I think) and collaboration (I hope). That's how it's supposed to happen in modern, successful political parties. But on Tuesday night, something totally unscripted blew up. There was yet another virtual meeting, this time with the NSW Liberal Women's Council, to figure out how to save the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, in trouble because it failed to nominate folks for local council elections in 2024. Any folks at all. Anyhow, it was Peter Dutton's idea to mount a federal takeover in order to review the NSW branch (seriously, he should have looked a little closer to home). Doing most of the talking was ex-Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale. He and his co-conspirator former Victorian senator Richard Alston sat themselves in front of a portrait of the Liberal Party's founding father. Guess they thought Robert Menzies would give them gravitas. The hilariously unkind SMH journalist Alex Smith who broke the story described them as having a combined age of 164. Anyhow, Stockdale said something along the lines of ... women are now "sufficiently assertive" in the Liberal Party that it is probably time to start giving blokes a leg up. Hahahahahaha. Also, aargghh. But these blokes, accompanied by their silent partner, Peta Seaton, want an extension of the term of their review. If I were Sussan Ley, I'd send them back to where they came from. The 18th century. Now it's clear to even the most casual reader of my columns that my politics in no way align with the Liberal Party. But I have written many a column supporting women in the Liberal Party because in every instance, women deserve the same opportunities as those offered to men. And for some unfathomable reason, the Liberal Party doesn't treat women in the same way as it treats men. Which, in some ways, is good for the rest of us. Unless it starts to accept women as equal participants, it is unlikely it will ever again get much traction in a country where women hold up (more than) half the sky. Among women, this comment by Stockdale further trashes the Liberal brand. As one woman, a longtime member of the Liberal Party, told me on Wednesday night after news of the "leg up" incident had broken: "It is both aggravating and tiresome at the same time. I want to scream, and also just walk away as so many have before me." She says: "I'm not the least bit surprised by what's described in the article. These blokes are dinosaurs. And while the offensive comments were by Stockdale, not Alston, they could just have easily been Alston." Misogynist men in the Liberal Party are apparently interchangeable. And it is baked in. Let me tell you the story of a woman who'd been chief of staff in a Liberal member's office. After the birth of her kid, her former boss suggested she work as an electoral officer, on about one-third of her previous salary. He said, to her face: "But it's a second income." Jesus fellas. This is not how it works anymore. When women work, they need the money as much as they need the work. It's not disposable. It's indispensable. Another Liberal woman tells me she offered to help with the review of the Liberal Party after the election loss in 2022. Hilariously, she tells me that when she called to throw herself into the mix for membership of the review, she explained she had insight into why the teals were stealing Liberal seats. "Let's face it, most of my friends are teal voters and I'm somewhat partial to them myself," she laughs. But the bloke she talked to basically dismissed her. He said to her: "If you have any feedback, send an email to the Vic state director." "I couldn't even reply, I was so pissed off at being dismissed and yet again not seriously considered." Let me take you back to 2021. It was already clear then, a year out from the 2022 federal election, that the Coalition was on the nose with women. Three separate polling organisations revealed a sharp shift of women away from the government: Essential, Resolve Monitor, NewsPoll. And why? For once, all women could agree. The way that former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, allegedly raped in Parliament House, was treated by those in the then Coalition government was appalling. If this was how the government treated one of its own, how would it treat others? As former Liberal MP Julia Banks, in her tell-some memoir Power Play: Breaking Through Bias, Barriers and Boys' Clubs, put it, "The painful experience for this woman was compounded by the Morrison government's incompetence, mismanagement and lack of accountability and humanity." Higgins, miraculously, has survived that mayhem and has now landed a gig with the lovely Hannah Moreno at Third Hemisphere. But not everyone survives. Higgins barely did. But the Liberals did not survive their rejection by women, not in 2022 and not in 2025. And they won't recover if they don't change. READ MORE: Which, sure, I am chill about. Who wants a party which says we can't work from home? Who wants a party which says nuclear power is the way forward? Hey babes, by the time you get back into power, in say, 2040, the renewables war will have been won. Please put your reactors back in your pants. My advice to you is this. You can't wait for the Stockdales and the Alstons to die. Blokes with plenty of money can afford the kind of healthcare which will keep them alive and kicking for years ahead. But the problem is they are not capable of changing. In the meantime, the Liberal Party itself may die. Want it to change? Sign yourselves up to Hilma's Network. Its founder, Charlotte Mortlock, launched a petition calling on the party to establish gender quotas. And push for them. That's what helped the Labor Party change. If the Liberals ever want to be in power again, they need to change too. Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This is the language I reserve for polite company. And that polite phrase is probably being muttered in the homes of many a Liberal this week as news of the latest party faux pas filters through. Worse than nuclear. Worse than work-from-home. These, at least, were policies devised after deliberation (I think) and collaboration (I hope). That's how it's supposed to happen in modern, successful political parties. But on Tuesday night, something totally unscripted blew up. There was yet another virtual meeting, this time with the NSW Liberal Women's Council, to figure out how to save the NSW branch of the Liberal Party, in trouble because it failed to nominate folks for local council elections in 2024. Any folks at all. Anyhow, it was Peter Dutton's idea to mount a federal takeover in order to review the NSW branch (seriously, he should have looked a little closer to home). Doing most of the talking was ex-Victorian treasurer Alan Stockdale. He and his co-conspirator former Victorian senator Richard Alston sat themselves in front of a portrait of the Liberal Party's founding father. Guess they thought Robert Menzies would give them gravitas. The hilariously unkind SMH journalist Alex Smith who broke the story described them as having a combined age of 164. Anyhow, Stockdale said something along the lines of ... women are now "sufficiently assertive" in the Liberal Party that it is probably time to start giving blokes a leg up. Hahahahahaha. Also, aargghh. But these blokes, accompanied by their silent partner, Peta Seaton, want an extension of the term of their review. If I were Sussan Ley, I'd send them back to where they came from. The 18th century. Now it's clear to even the most casual reader of my columns that my politics in no way align with the Liberal Party. But I have written many a column supporting women in the Liberal Party because in every instance, women deserve the same opportunities as those offered to men. And for some unfathomable reason, the Liberal Party doesn't treat women in the same way as it treats men. Which, in some ways, is good for the rest of us. Unless it starts to accept women as equal participants, it is unlikely it will ever again get much traction in a country where women hold up (more than) half the sky. Among women, this comment by Stockdale further trashes the Liberal brand. As one woman, a longtime member of the Liberal Party, told me on Wednesday night after news of the "leg up" incident had broken: "It is both aggravating and tiresome at the same time. I want to scream, and also just walk away as so many have before me." She says: "I'm not the least bit surprised by what's described in the article. These blokes are dinosaurs. And while the offensive comments were by Stockdale, not Alston, they could just have easily been Alston." Misogynist men in the Liberal Party are apparently interchangeable. And it is baked in. Let me tell you the story of a woman who'd been chief of staff in a Liberal member's office. After the birth of her kid, her former boss suggested she work as an electoral officer, on about one-third of her previous salary. He said, to her face: "But it's a second income." Jesus fellas. This is not how it works anymore. When women work, they need the money as much as they need the work. It's not disposable. It's indispensable. Another Liberal woman tells me she offered to help with the review of the Liberal Party after the election loss in 2022. Hilariously, she tells me that when she called to throw herself into the mix for membership of the review, she explained she had insight into why the teals were stealing Liberal seats. "Let's face it, most of my friends are teal voters and I'm somewhat partial to them myself," she laughs. But the bloke she talked to basically dismissed her. He said to her: "If you have any feedback, send an email to the Vic state director." "I couldn't even reply, I was so pissed off at being dismissed and yet again not seriously considered." Let me take you back to 2021. It was already clear then, a year out from the 2022 federal election, that the Coalition was on the nose with women. Three separate polling organisations revealed a sharp shift of women away from the government: Essential, Resolve Monitor, NewsPoll. And why? For once, all women could agree. The way that former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, allegedly raped in Parliament House, was treated by those in the then Coalition government was appalling. If this was how the government treated one of its own, how would it treat others? As former Liberal MP Julia Banks, in her tell-some memoir Power Play: Breaking Through Bias, Barriers and Boys' Clubs, put it, "The painful experience for this woman was compounded by the Morrison government's incompetence, mismanagement and lack of accountability and humanity." Higgins, miraculously, has survived that mayhem and has now landed a gig with the lovely Hannah Moreno at Third Hemisphere. But not everyone survives. Higgins barely did. But the Liberals did not survive their rejection by women, not in 2022 and not in 2025. And they won't recover if they don't change. READ MORE: Which, sure, I am chill about. Who wants a party which says we can't work from home? Who wants a party which says nuclear power is the way forward? Hey babes, by the time you get back into power, in say, 2040, the renewables war will have been won. Please put your reactors back in your pants. My advice to you is this. You can't wait for the Stockdales and the Alstons to die. Blokes with plenty of money can afford the kind of healthcare which will keep them alive and kicking for years ahead. But the problem is they are not capable of changing. In the meantime, the Liberal Party itself may die. Want it to change? Sign yourselves up to Hilma's Network. Its founder, Charlotte Mortlock, launched a petition calling on the party to establish gender quotas. And push for them. That's what helped the Labor Party change. If the Liberals ever want to be in power again, they need to change too.
The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Read the room': Liberal elder outrages female leaders
Senior female political leaders have condemned remarks made by a Liberal Party elder about the assertiveness of women in the organisation. Former federal president Alan Stockdale, 80, reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," he told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Womens' Council, the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday. Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the remarks at the womens' executive gathering on Tuesday and later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". But that didnt stop senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk from joining forces to condemn his remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." Senator McKenzie said she was on a "unity ticket" with Ms Palaszczuk over Mr Stockdale's remarks. During the federal election campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties, ahead of Labor romping home to government. Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien also questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." Senior female political leaders have condemned remarks made by a Liberal Party elder about the assertiveness of women in the organisation. Former federal president Alan Stockdale, 80, reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," he told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Womens' Council, the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday. Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the remarks at the womens' executive gathering on Tuesday and later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". But that didnt stop senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk from joining forces to condemn his remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." Senator McKenzie said she was on a "unity ticket" with Ms Palaszczuk over Mr Stockdale's remarks. During the federal election campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties, ahead of Labor romping home to government. Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien also questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." Senior female political leaders have condemned remarks made by a Liberal Party elder about the assertiveness of women in the organisation. Former federal president Alan Stockdale, 80, reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," he told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Womens' Council, the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday. Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the remarks at the womens' executive gathering on Tuesday and later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". But that didnt stop senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk from joining forces to condemn his remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." Senator McKenzie said she was on a "unity ticket" with Ms Palaszczuk over Mr Stockdale's remarks. During the federal election campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties, ahead of Labor romping home to government. Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien also questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader." Senior female political leaders have condemned remarks made by a Liberal Party elder about the assertiveness of women in the organisation. Former federal president Alan Stockdale, 80, reportedly claimed women had become "so assertive" the party might need to consider support for men. "The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected," he told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Womens' Council, the Daily Telegraph reported on Thursday. Mr Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the remarks at the womens' executive gathering on Tuesday and later told the Telegraph he had made "a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark". But that didnt stop senior Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk from joining forces to condemn his remarks. "Honestly, Alan, read the room," Senator McKenzie told Nine's Today show on Thursday. "It was a shocking comment - I think it's time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong." Ms Palaszczuk said she couldn't believe it. "You've finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected (federal leader), and it's three steps backwards with these comments," she told Today. "These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men." Senator McKenzie said she was on a "unity ticket" with Ms Palaszczuk over Mr Stockdale's remarks. During the federal election campaign, the Liberal party announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home. It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties, ahead of Labor romping home to government. Deputy opposition leader Ted O'Brien also questioned Mr Stockdale's comments, appealing to strong women to join the Liberals. "To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party," he told ABC's News Breakfast on Thursday. "We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party. "I'm proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader."
