In a significant blow to the Liberal Party's efforts to improve female representation, prominent women's advocate Charlotte Mortlock has resigned her membership just days after Sussan Ley was ousted as leader and the party rejected gender quota proposals she had championed.
Mortlock's Departure Follows Leadership Spill
Mortlock announced her resignation from the Liberal Party on Sunday, following the dramatic leadership spill that saw Angus Taylor replace Sussan Ley as party leader. The former journalist and Liberal staffer cited 'recent events' as the reason for her departure in a formal statement.
This development comes after the New South Wales Liberals rejected a gender quota proposal that Mortlock had worked extensively to develop and promote within the party structure.
End of Hilma's Network Involvement
Mortlock also revealed she would be stepping away from Hilma's Network, the advocacy organization she founded four years ago to increase female representation within the Liberal Party. The network was named after Hilma Molyneux, a key figure in the NSW suffrage movement.
'I founded Hilma's four years ago and am incredibly proud of all we have achieved, mainly the many women we supported across the country throughout preselections and elections,' Mortlock stated. 'From inception, we quickly grew to multiple states hosting events that challenged the Party to evolve.'
She continued: 'Due to recent events I have decided there are other ways I can support women and Australia. I wish Hilma's and the Liberal Party success in the future.'
Taylor's Leadership and Policy Direction
Angus Taylor secured the Liberal leadership with a decisive 34-17 vote over Sussan Ley in Friday's leadership ballot, ending her tenure after just nine months as the party's first female leader. Following the spill, Taylor pledged to bring stability to the party and outlined his policy priorities.
'We must look ahead and put the disagreements of the recent past behind us,' Taylor told reporters. 'The choice is simple for the Liberal Party: change or die. I choose change.'
The new leader identified home ownership as the centerpiece of his leadership agenda, alongside a focus on economic growth and a migration policy that would restrict entry to those who do not share Australian values.
Deputy Leadership and Shadow Cabinet Changes
Victorian senator Jane Hume was elected as Taylor's deputy, defeating Ted O'Brien in the contest. This development means O'Brien will likely lose his position as shadow treasurer in the forthcoming shadow cabinet reshuffle.
Sussan Ley's Political Future
Sussan Ley announced she would spend the coming weeks in her regional NSW electorate of Farrer before tendering her resignation from parliament, triggering a potentially contentious by-election.
'I leave it for others to judge this period of my leadership, now, and with the passing of time,' Ley told reporters. 'While I'm sure plenty of people will have plenty to say, I've never sought to influence what other people think of me.'
Reflecting on her future, Ley added: 'I'm not sure what comes next for me. I look forward to stepping away completely and comprehensively from public life, to spend time with my family, to reconnect with my enduring passion, aviation, which taught me if I had an ego, I'd be dead. It's been quite useful in politics.'
Mortlock had originally established Hilma's Network in 2022 as a strategic initiative to attract female voters back to the Liberal Party, making her departure particularly significant for the party's gender representation efforts.
