More women in cabinet but representation worries build

Australia is ranked 37th in the world for the percentage of women in national parliament, according to data from the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

"The Liberal Party is the one that needs to pull up their socks," says Professor Catharine Lumby. (Paul Miller/AAP PHOTOS)

Women make up less than one-third of the coalition's MPs and senators, while more than half of Labor's federal parliamentarians are women, analysis of the parliament shows.

This could change at the upcoming federal election, where Labor's new cabinet and a host of female teal independents will be put to the test.

"The Liberal Party is the one that needs to pull up their socks,"  University of Sydney media professor Catharine Lumby said.

She said the Liberals had been captured by their right wing, while welcoming Labor's reshuffle.

"There's no question that the Labor Party has really improved its approach to gender equality," she told AAP.

"It's not perfect, but there's no dearth of talent when it comes to women in the Labor Party."

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher adds government services - including Centrelink - to her portfolios. (Dominic Giannini/AAP PHOTOS)

In the reshuffle Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth picks up the NDIS, while Finance Minister Katy Gallagher adds government services - including Centrelink - and Anne Aly becomes junior NDIS minister.

Aged Care and Sport Minister Anika Wells has also been promoted to the cabinet, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese highlighting her work throughout the Olympics and aged care reforms.

Pre-selection issues over a key seat have reignited concerns over a gender imbalance within the coalition.

The electorate of Bradfield in Sydney's north has historically been a blue-ribbon seat for the Liberal party, but teal independent Nicolette Boele has emerged as a serious challenge.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth picks up the NDIS from the departing Bill Shorten. (Jacob Shteyman/AAP PHOTOS)

Many of the Liberals' historically safe seats were already taken by female teal independents at the 2022 election and, with Bradfield's Liberal MP Paul Fletcher announcing his retirement at the next vote, the coalition is reportedly split over his replacement.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price are backing Nyunggai Warren Mundine, while opposition deputy leader Sussan Ley and former treasurer Joe Hockey have endorsed Gisele Kapterian, a tech company director.

"The Liberals are still very captured by the right wing of the party and there's a very old fashioned view expressed by some that they have to appoint people on 'merit'," Prof Lumby said.

Many academics have argued that achieving success, regardless of social position, through an individual's merits is not widely attainable - which is why many women and others from marginalised communities aren't represented in senior leadership positions.

"Merit is a very old-fashioned idea and the reality is that if you want to shift the system, you have to do some affirmative action appointments," Prof Lumby said.

"But that doesn't mean that those women aren't good enough."

Jane Hume says it's nonsense to suggest the coalition continually picks men for safe seats. (Mick Tsikas/AAP PHOTOS)

Though the coalition has previously set gender targets, it has been accused of continually picking men for safe seats held by retiring MPs.

But opposition finance spokeswoman Jane Hume has said these claims are "nonsense", listing some of the coalition's female candidates and noting that retiring MPs were not only concentrated in safe seats.

"There's no such thing as a safe seat anymore," she told ABC radio.

"Of the seats that we are trying to win - and there are plenty of them - there are some extraordinary women."