NATIONALS delegates made history in the final hour of their two-day annual conference today voting overwhelmingly in favour of equal female representation on their Central Council.
The vote to change the party’s constitution was significant and exceeds other political party’s efforts at gender equality.
Many Nationals said change was needed to increase the number of female political representatives in parliament. The party has produced 10 state and federal MPs in its history.
Not all women can fight like I had to and we need to change.
- NSW Senate candidate Fiona Leviny
A similar motion was put to the 2014 Nationals conference but was defeated. In today’s vote a show of hands recorded 121 in favour with 36 against.
It was far and away the most heated debate of the two-day conference with 22 people taking to the microphone to voice their opinion.
Nationals President Larry Anthony said the result would play a critical role in ensuring the party moved forward in step with the people it represented..
“For any party to survive and thrive it has got to reflect society,” he said.
“This change to the constitution has forced the Nationals to guarantee female participation which will increase representation at preselection.
“We are in a much better position to encourage women to get involved. What has happened here today has been quite progressive.”
Paves the way
Chairman of the Women’s Council, Claire Coulton, moved the controversial motion and said the vote now paved the way for more women to stand for preselection in their seats.
“We don’t believe in quotas,” she said. “We are not going to parachute women into positions but we need to increase support for women to stand on their merits.”
Senate candidate Fiona Leviny, Grafton, spoke passionately about the need for women to be supported in party politics, revealing a childhood in which her father offered little respect for her two sisters and her mother simply because they were women.
“It’s been a very hard fight for me to get where I have,” Ms Leviny said.
“Not all women can fight like I had to and we need to change.”
On the Senate ticket the ratio of women to men is 50:50, already meeting a voluntary Nationals target set by the governing party in April for the year 2025.
Those opposing constitutional change defended their position with vigour.
Member for Coffs Harbour Andrew Fraser said the motion was ‘flawed’.
He supported the call for all party members to encourage more women into representative roles but stressed that “we need the best people for the job” and questioned the need to mandate roles by gender.
Kingscliff delegate Alan Martin told the conference the motion was more suited to the Labor party.
“Women don’t always want to step forward and if you don’t want to go out and work hard for something you don’t deserve it.”
Deniliquin delegate David Landini went so far as to say the motion was undemocratic.
“It introduces segregation and reduces democracy,” he said to both applause and heckling.
Heavyweights back move
Party heavyweights however gave their support for the move.
“This is not a controversial motion,” said NSW Roads and Freight Minister Duncan Gay.“We are behind our time. We as a party should lead the community.”
Mr Gay explained how the party had implemented similar rules in 1976 under then leader Doug Anthony – but at that time a three year sunset clause was imposed.
Those rule changes raised the number of Federal electorates representation on central council from one to two and required at least one position be filled by a woman.
Long serving delegate and former NSW MP Jenny Gardiner said at that time the three year rule was thought to be sufficient to cement gender balance and therefore a permanent constitutional amendment was not needed.
“That worked then,” Ms Gardiner said. “We were the first party to put gender equity into its constitution but we’ve lost focus.”
“This is groundbreaking,” she continued. “This vote sets the pace for the party across Australia.”
Ms Gardiner said the vote package included a push by the Young Nationals and the Women’s Council for greater mentioning of women within party ranks and for more ‘blokes to champion’ the cause.
Ms Gardiner noted that the Ben Franklin, Troy Grant, John Barilaro, Niall Blair and Duncan Gay were right behind the push.
Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash, who is the first female elected to the position and also the first woman in federal cabinet as regional communications Minister said the changes were a logical step for the Nationals.
“This isn’t a party of free marketers. We’re happy to intervene where necessary and this is the time to intervene.
She noted that the party had already supported extra delegates for large regions like Western NSW as well as for the Young Nationals.
Former NSW Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson urged delegates to support the “once in a lifetime opportunity” for women.
“There are just too few women who progress through this party,” she said.