The Coalition’s problem with women voters is well-known. Female MPs are still outnumbered two-to-one in Liberal and National party rooms, and polling consistently shows women are less likely to vote for either party.
Thu 6 Nov 2025 00.00
Photo: Official White House Photo/Joyce N. Boghosian
There are many factors that can contribute to this, but new research suggests that women in Australia do not see the Coalition as reflecting their values.
Respondents were asked:
Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said Australia and the United States “share values” of “democracy and the rule of law”. Do you agree or disagree that Australia “shares values” with the United States under President Trump?
Australian women are very unlikely to agree that Australia shares values with Trump’s America – 52% disagree and just 22% agree.
This research carries a clear message to Australia’s politicians: if you want to appeal to women voters then you can’t do that by acting like US President Donald Trump.
But a plurality of those who intend to vote for the Liberal and National parties agree that Australia shares values with Trump’s America, the opposite result.
Women more likely to feel less secure since Trump’s election; more likely to think his election was a very bad thing for Australia and the world; and much more likely to feel very unsafe travelling to the United States.
Over the last two elections, the Liberal party lost a swathe of inner-city seats to progressive women running as independents, in part because they lost the trust of many female voters under Scott Morrison. Their performance in the May 2025 election showed not only that they haven’t regained that trust, but doing so is key if they want to win back the seats lost to community independents.
But the Liberal and National parties have welded themselves to the alliance with Donald Trump. Alongside Labor, they have refused to back an inquiry into the Aukus submarine deal. Significantly more women (47%) support an inquiry than oppose one (just 15%).
The Coalition needs to get serious about bringing Australian women back into the fold to win back the seats they lost in the last two elections. They could start with reflecting the values of those women and distancing themselves from Donald Trump.
Politics cannot be fixed by removing the politicians. Instead, Australians could ask more of the politicians they do elect and participate fully in civic life – protesting, joining political parties or community groups, running for office themselves and lobbying local members.
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