Scott Morrison’s poor standing led to Liberals’ ‘most serious’ election loss, party review finds

Review says perceptions former PM failed on Covid and ‘was not attuned to the concerns of women’ drove result

The Liberal party was driven to the “most serious” election loss in its history by perceptions Scott Morrison failed to manage the Covid-19 pandemic and address the concerns of women.

That is the central finding of the Liberals’ 2022 election review released on Thursday, blaming a combination of factors for a result it said was “not comparable” to any other in Australian history and poses a “significant and unique” challenge to the party.

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A target of 50% female representation in parliament within 10 years or three terms, with 50% targets also for party membership and senior positions

The establishment of the “Dame Margaret Guilfoyle Network” for female staffers and MPs to promote greater female representation

A timeline for preselections

Deadlines for candidate selection that trigger federal intervention if state divisions fail to meet them

Improved oversight of outsourced candidate vetting

A code of conduct for candidates with clear penalties for breaches

A Liberal party conference to engage members, particularly young and new members, to contribute to centre-right policy

A national search committee to identify potential promising candidates early