Deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg has kiboshed growing calls for gender quotas to get more women into parliament.

Mr Frydenberg, whose predecessor Julie Bishop recently lamented the low number of elected Liberal women, pointed instead to his party’s 50 per cent target for female representation by 2025.

“We’re focused on recruitment, retention, mentoring, which is absolutely critical here in order to get more women into these seats,” he told the ABC on Sunday.

Less than a quarter of federal Liberal MPs are women, compared to almost 50 per cent of Labor politicians.

“I think we’re all focused on improving those numbers,” Mr Frydenberg said.

“Let’s not forget the Liberal Party is a party of firsts when it comes to women. We had the first female in cabinet, the first female finance minister, foreign minister, defence minister.

“Obviously that is a very proud record that we want to continue.”

Liberal deputy leader Josh Frydenberg says women should be encouraged but not preferenced.  Photo: AAP

Mr Frydenberg pointed out two women were pre-selected on Saturday to run for Tasmanian Senate seats at the next election, with other women nominated for lower house electorates across the country.

Liberal frontbencher Sussan Ley believes her party should consider adopting quotas to address the issue.

“If you look at our party, the picture tells its own story,” Ms Ley said late last week.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has also conceded the Liberals have a “very serious” problem with the number of women in parliament.

The gender imbalance issue has bubbled alongside claims from Liberal MP Julia Banks and Senator Lucy Gichuhi that they were bullied and harassed by male colleagues during last month’s bitter leadership coup.

Senator Lucy Gichuhi went public to bare the epidemic of bullying against Liberal women during the leadership coup that toppled Malcolm Turnbull. Photo: Citizen TV

The behaviour led Ms Banks to announce she wouldn’t contest the next election, while Senator Gichuhi has threatened to name and shame those responsible.

Mr Frydenberg is confident Ms Banks will remain in parliament until the election.

“She will not allow the people who have tried to bring her down a victory, and she will help ensure that the Coalition wins the next election,” he said.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Prime Minister Scott Morrison must be open and honest about bullying in the Liberal Party.

“Bullies are not entitled to the protection of secrecy and they certainly should not be protected from the deliberate silence of an Australian prime minister,” he told a Labor party meeting in Hobart.

“If you want to know the difference in our priorities … about putting women in parliament, you only need to look at Tasmania.

“We have a fantastic team of great Labor women, compared to the collection of has-beens, and never-weres, and Eric Abetz.”

Mr Frydenberg was repeatedly asked why Malcolm Turnbull was sacked, but refused to offer an answer.

“The focus for the Morrison government and for all my colleagues is on delivering more jobs, lower taxes and essential services,” he said.

-AAP