Assistant minister for regional development Sussan Ley has repeated calls for a gender quota in parliament, urging the NSW division of the Liberal party to pick a “sensible number” of women candidates.

Ms Ley said a number such as 40 per cent women would improve the party’s reputation for female representation.

“Of course it needs to be implemented as soon as possible. I’ll certainly be encouraging my NSW division, where honestly there are some really good women who are pushing this barrow,” Ms Ley told The Australian on Friday.

“You have to pick a sensible number and date but then we’re heading in the right direction, we’re heading away from what is a bit of a cliff face.”

Ms Ley’s colleague Jason Falinski also believes the party should do more to ensure future candidates are from more diverse backgrounds.

“Clearly men and women are equal,” the NSW MP said.

“I don’t think the community expects us to fix it overnight but they do expect to see us addressing the issue.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Party currently has 21 women candidates and 102 male candidates for the lower house ahead of the federal election, which is due by May.

However, candidates have not been confirmed for 10 electorates.
The figures mean the party could have the lowest number of female candidates for a general election this century, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

Women hold 12 of the coalition’s 74 seats in the lower house, with the number dwindling after Julia Banks quit the party to sit as an independent.

Gilmore MP Ann Sudmalis also announced in September she will not re-contest the election, pointing the finger at bad behaviour in the NSW division, as Jane Prentice lost pre-selection for her Brisbane seat.

Ms Ley called for a gender quota in parliament at the time, but her plea was dismissed by Deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg.

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 said at the time.

-With AAP