On Monday, the former defence minister published a statement on her Facebook page declaring she would “not be nominating as a candidate for another term as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia.”

“For forty years I have proudly served my nation in the Army, in the Liberal Party, in defence industry, in Parliament and in Government,” she explained. “In my career after the Senate, I will continue to serve, but in new ways.”

Reynolds was elected to the Senate for Western Australia in 2014, and re-elected in 2016 and 2019. Prior to that, she’d spent more than a decade holding vice-president and treasury positions at various local WA Liberal Party divisions. 

Her first cabinet role came in mid-2019, serving under the Morrison government as Minister for Defence Industry. Over the next several years, she would serve in other portfolios, including Minister for Emergency Management, Minister for Government Services, Minister for Defence and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. 

In her ‘Statement on Preselection’ published yesterday, Reynolds described her years serving in cabinet as “some of the most challenging times in our Nation’s recent history.”

She noted that being preselected and elected to the Senate was “a great honour and a privilege few Australians are afforded.”

“This is my tenth year in the Senate and my passion and commitment to my State and to my Nation remains as strong as ever.”

She went on to say it was “rare” for her to be in a position “to choose the time and circumstances of your departure,” and that her decision to leave politics was made “after considerable reflection of what is behind me and the opportunities that are now ahead of me.”

“Just as the health of our democracy can never be taken for granted, neither can the health of political parties – both must be constantly renewed and strengthened. I joined the Liberal Party over 35 years ago and my respect for, and belief in, the principles and values it was established on have only deepened over time.”

Addressing her party directly, she said that she “owe[s] the Liberal Party so much” and that she was “very grateful for the lifelong friendships I have made in the Party and for the overwhelming support I continue to receive from WA Liberal Party members and volunteers who have helped me over the last decade.”

In 2021, when she was Defence Minister, Reynolds faced intense scrutiny after former Liberal Party staffer Brittany Higgins alleged she was sexually assaulted by then colleague Bruce Lehrmann in Reynolds’ ministerial office. Higgins was working as a media advisor to Senator Reynolds at the time. When she told Reynolds about the rape, Reynolds was horrified, according to Higgins, and asked her if she intended to go to the police.

“She said, ‘If you choose to go to the police we will support you in that process, but we just need to know ahead of time. We need to know now’,” Higgins told news.com.au.

Lehrmann has continued to deny the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the alleged rape of Higgins.

In 2021, Reynolds publicly apologised to Higgins for calling her “a lying cow” in February of that year and agreed to cover the legal costs.

“[I] did not mean it in the sense it may have been understood,” she wrote in a statement posted on her socials. “Given that the comment was made public, which I never intended, I also want to retract it and unreservedly apologise to Brittany Higgins and acknowledge the hurt and distress it caused to her.” 

Reynolds also promised to make a donation to a sexual assault charity as part of a confidential settlement with her. 

A criminal trial of Bruce Lehrmann on one charge of sexual assault in 2022 was derailed in the ACT Supreme Court following juror misconduct. A second trial was aborted by prosecutors after concerns were raised for Higgins’ mental health.

In late 2022, lawyers for Higgins were reported to be preparing to bring a civil claim against Reynolds and former Attorney-General Michaelia Cash for sexual harassment, discrimination, disability discrimination, negligence and victimisation.

In December, Higgins reached a settlement with the Commonwealth, with “the parties [agreeing] that the terms of the settlement are confidential.” 

In January last year, Reynolds launched a defamation case against Higgins and her fiance, David Sharaz, over tweets her lawyers said caused damage that were “inaccurate and professionally damaging” and that “cannot be underestimated.”

Months later, Reynolds sent a defamation concerns notice to Tanya Plibersek following an interview on Sunrise where Plibersek claimed that the crime to which Higgins was subject to “had been inappropriately investigated, even covered up by her employers.”

Reynolds told Plibersek she could “make amends” and avoid legal action by issuing a signed apology, withdrawing her comments, paying Reynolds’ legal costs and providing an “appropriate sum to compensate my client for the damage caused by the publication” within 28 days.

Reynolds’ statement yesterday did not mention anything pertaining to Higgins or these cases. She did however insist that she would “keep working” with her party to “diversify and strengthen” it. 

“Having achieved more than I set out to when I entered the Senate, there is no perfect time to leave politics, but this is the right time for me and for the WA Liberal Party to provide my successor with the same opportunities it has given me,” she concluded. 

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Simon Birmingham applauded Reynolds’ “distinguished career” in both parliament and the military. 

“From her service in the Australian Army to her tenure as a Liberal Senator for Western Australia, Linda has been a steadfast champion for our nation’s defence, national security, and the advancement of Australia,” he said in a statement.

“Linda’s strength, courage and dignity have been remarked upon by many. I have no doubt that in the years ahead Linda will continue to unwaveringly serve her community and our nation.”

Liberal MP Melissa Price commented on Reynolds’ Facebook post, saying, “Thank you for your service to the party and Senate Linda, although I have no doubt that you will find other avenues to contribute to our great nation. My friend, you will be missed.”

Reynolds will remain in the Senate until her term ends in June 2025.

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Speaking with ABC political reporter Annabel Crabb on the national broadcaster’s program Kitchen Cabinet, Andrews said her male colleague would often breath heavily on the back of her neck and say crude things to her during Question Time.

“I’d just be sitting there minding my own business and I would have the back of my neck breathed on,” Andrews said.

“And if I asked a question, it would be ‘that was a great question, thrusting and probing’.”

The sexual harassment Andrews said she endured was just one instance of many that were “not workplace appropriate” and fed the former cabinet minister’s lack of belief in things changing for women in politics.

“Do you know what the issue is? Well, there would be people that would say, ‘Can’t you take a joke? Can she not take a joke?’ 

“And sometimes I do call it out, but sometimes I just go, ‘I can’t be in every fight.'”

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Andrews entered politics in 2010 after working as an engineer and industrial relations specialist. Although both workplaces were male-dominated, she said it was nothing compared to Parliament House.

“Through all those careers, not once did I think being a female made any difference,” she said.

“But I went to politics and it’s the first time I’ve ever felt I had to fight for things simply because I was a woman.

“It’s depressing. That is depressing. So I don’t know, to be honest, that it’s going to change in my lifetime. And that is really sad.”

Andrews spoke of the workplace culture in Parliament House and said there is quite a bit of socialising out of hours, most of which herself and her female colleagues were not invited to.

“That’s where I found it was really difficult as a female,” she said.

“I wasn’t often invited when my male colleague were having get-togethers… and a lot of strategising would get done in those meetings, and the women who were not invited to it were just never part of it.” 

Andrews, who served as the one of the most senior women in the Coalition government prior to the last election, quit the Liberal frontbench earlier in the year, announcing she would retire at the next election.

In 2021, the Australian Human Rights Commission released the Set the Standard report, based on an Independent Review into Commonwealth Parliamentary Workplaces (CPWs).

The report found one third of people working in CPWs (33 per cent) have experienced some form of sexual harassment, while 77 per cent have either experienced, witnessed or heard about bullying, sexual harassment and/or actual or attempted sexual assault.

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Isn’t it wonderful that the bearer of the country’s highest office believes the status of women is so important that he needs to personally take on the responsibility for progress and change? Isn’t that the obvious take-out message from our new PM’s self-appointment?

Tony Abbott made it clear during the election that Team Abbott would be a government that offers real change. So with that in mind it’s important we remind him – constantly – of the changes we would like to see him deliver as Minister for Women.

1. That he will fight for equality of women in every facet of life. In the home, on the streets, in the workplace and in the boardroom, all women should feel safe, confident and empowered all at the time.
2. That he will develop a plan to correct the injustice of pay inequality, on the basis of gender, that results from a working environment with fewer opportunities for women at the top. Many men are paid more than women because employers place a greater value on them. Their value is in large part a perception of their future value to the organisation. When women are seen to have the potential to run the company some day they too will be valued for their future worth and paid accordingly. Employers need to be actively encouraged to alter their thinking. I have no doubt that Tony Abbott can do this, especially given how close he is to big business.
3. That he will address the childcare situation for all women. One of the main reasons women’s careers come to a grinding halt once they become parents is that there is a severe lack of affordable childcare right across the country. My sons were in long-day childcare two days per week. The fees for the two days were more expensive than an eastern suburbs private preparatory school for five days. Affordable and accessible childcare includes after-school care. Unless all companies in every industry suddenly adopt the notion of flexible work so that parents (often mothers) can collect their children from school mid-afternoon every day, how on earth can their careers continue?
4. That he will encourage organisations to think outside the square on flexible work by incentivizing companies to address this. I have a friend who has an engineering degree and an MBA but had to take a job as a casual TAFE teacher when her children started school due to the lack of flexibility with the working hours of her executive job at an ASX-100 organisation. That’s one less talented woman lining up to be a future CEO.
5. That he will work with women to find viable means to increase the financial independence of all women, but especially those most vulnerable. No woman should have to put up with an untenable or dangerous living situation because she has no other option.
6. That he will protect a woman’s right to make decisions about her own body and health. And that means our right to wear what we like, when we like. It also means our right to contraception and abortion. No must always mean no. And no woman is ever responsible for any form of violence towards her, regardless of what she says or does.
7. That he will implement the paid parental leave scheme he touted during the election campaign as his platform for winning over women. It’s the only female-friendly tool in his kitbag and undoubtedly it convinced some future parents to vote for him. So delivering on this would be a great starting point.

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Our new PM has described as ‘unfortunate’ the fact that there is only one woman in the Coalition Cabinet and six in the 42-strong Ministry (14.3%). I disagree. It is not simply unfortunate, but a case of really poor management on behalf of the organisation now governing the country. The fact Australia has fewer than 15 per cent of the Ministry positions held by women speaks to a systemic failure by the Liberal Party over the years to adopt the grown up reforms adopted by the Labor Party and many companies in the corporate world.

There are now more women on the boards of ASX200 listed companies than running the country. This is in part due to changes made in 2010 by the ASX Corporate Governance Council to its Principles and Recommendations governing best practice for Australian companies. Principle 3 (the diversity principle) required companies to measure and report on the numbers of women at all levels in the organistion and to take seriously the clear business case for gender balance. The number of women on ASX200 boards went from 8 percent in 2009 to close to 16 per cent currently.

It is a similar story in the Australian Labor Party. In 1994 the ALP National Conference passed an Affirmative Action Rule requiring women be preselected in 35 per cent of winnable seats at all elections by 2002. This target was subsequently lifted and the 40/40/20 rule by 2012 was enshrined as ALP policy. Women seeking election are supported by Emily’s List, a financial, political and personal support network for the election of progressive Labor women candidates.

Critics in the Liberal Party argue that merit based selection ensures the best candidates are selected to stand for election. Could someone please point that out to the pre-selectors who put Jaymes Diaz up for the voters in Greenway? Or to the way in which a Senate ticket is determined? Or to the way ambassadors for overseas office are selected? The notion of merit as some mystical force that, like Luke Skywalker, will rise to triumph over all evil is mysteriously alive and well – often among people who may not have been selected for a position should have a more rigorous process intervened.

Targets, quotas, or any proporitional share of positions requird to be held by a certain group, will automatically require a wider search to be conducted for suitable candidates. For the spotlight to be turned off and floodlight to be turned on, enabling people to look beyond their own field of view to networks they would not otherwise know or be part of. The same is as true for the pre-selection of political candidates and it is for ASX directors.

Mr Abbott in describing the dearth of women in leadership positions in the Liberal Party ignores that fact that this has been the case since the election of Howard in 1996 – 17 years and six elections ago. Plenty of time to focus on the issue at the grass roots level and develop a strategy for attracting, recruiting and sponsoring top quality women into leadership roles. The Coalition has also been in Oppostition for seven years, again time to renew the party and foster and develop talent. Familiar language and one that business uses all of the time in its quest for the best people.

Prior to his election Tony Abbott’s support for gender diversity rested largely on the fact he was married to a woman, had three daughters and announced a Paid Parental Leave Scheme (largely an overpaid baby bonus) which appears designed to keep more women out of productive work and wipe out 20 years of businesss policies. None of this seems to have translated into positions on the front bench – which is where the rubber hits the road in terms of demonstrating clear committment to gender balance.

The recently released Women on Boards Boardroom Diversity Index clearly illustrates that sectors with measurable gender balance targets are moving ahead of those that rely on good intentions and rhetoric alone. If the Liberal Party wishes to avoid the same ‘unforunate’ occurrence at the next election they might look to getting past their fixation on the arbitrary construct of merit and implementing affirmative action within the party and developing a pipeline of talented and progressive men and women to serve into the future.

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