Ley Defends ‘Assertive Women’ After Liberal Stalwart Suggests Male Quotas

Senior Liberal leader Alan Stockdale said women in the party were now ’so assertive' that men may need special rules to get preselected, sparking backlash.

Australia's Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley speaks at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2025. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has responded to remarks by former Liberal Party President Alan Stockdale, declaring there is “nothing wrong with being an assertive woman.”

During a recent meet of Liberal Party in NSW, Stockdale suggested the party might need “special rules for men” to secure preselection.