The Liberal Party hasn't done a great job encouraging women to throw their hat in the political ring, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet admits.
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He wants more women to enter state politics, and has also taken aim at the federal government's "slow" approach to the issue.
"Our party, the Liberal Party, let's be frank ... hasn't done a great job in terms of pre-selections and encouraging women to enter politics," he told the National Press Club on Wednesday.
"The more diverse our parliaments are, the more diverse our cabinet is, the better the decision-making outcomes will be."
Mr Perrottet also said the federal government "would accept that they've been slow" in addressing the treatment and representation of women.
"Unfortunately, sometimes it takes some bad situations to eventuate for the public, and for politicians particularly, to take notice and step up to the plate," he said.
"It's going to need to be, for them (the federal government), a major focus, not just for re-election, but for doing what's right.
"The public expectation, now, and mindset when it comes to women's issues, is right up the top."
Despite this, Mr Perrottet did not want to "put a figure" on the proportion of women expected to make up his cabinet in a looming reshuffle.
"I have committed to increasing female representation in the cabinet. I will not put a figure on it. But we will see an increase," he said.
Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins last week proposed gender targets as part of reforms aimed at making federal parliament safer for women.
The opposition has gender quotas, but the Morrison government has resisted adopting them.
Ms Jenkins' review of federal parliament's workplace culture painted a damning picture, with one-third of people surveyed saying they had been sexually harassed.
It was sparked by former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins' allegation she had been raped in a minister's office in 2019.
Two days after the review's release, cabinet minister Alan Tudge was forced to stand aside over allegations of emotional and physical abuse from his former staffer Rachelle Miller.
Mr Tudge denied the allegations now subject to an investigation by the prime minister's department.
Australian Associated Press
