The Liberal Party has again come under fire for the low number of women in its federal parliamentary team, with former Liberal senator Judith Troeth arguing female representation had dropped to a low level, regressing since former prime minister John Howard won office in 1996. Ms Troeth's claim is in the ballpark. There were, indeed, three more Liberal women in parliament during 1996 compared to May 2018. But the party also held an extra 22 seats. In determining whether the level of women has declined, it is more meaningful to consider the numbers as a proportion of seats held. Viewed this way, female representation in the Liberal Party has actually increased over the 22 years ' from 21 per cent of Liberal parliamentarians to 24 per cent. But it still remains below the level for women in Parliament overall, and roughly half that of Labor party members. So while the level of [Liberal] women is indeed low, it has not dropped to a low level since 1996. Ms Troeth specifically identified 1996 in her claim. However, female representation during John Howard's prime ministership peaked not in his first term but in his second (1998-2001), when it reached 25 per cent. Across Mr Howard's four terms, female representation averaged 23 per cent of Liberal seats held, which is just below the party's level in June 2018.
Verdict: In the ballpark