Voters will reject Liberals if they don’t have enough female candidates, Matt Kean says

NSW treasurer savaged his party's preselection processes and warned that the community expects more diversity in its parliaments

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The New South Wales treasurer, Matt Kean, has savaged his own party's preselection processes and membership, warning the Liberals risk losing voters at the March election if they fail to put up enough female candidates.

Kean, the party's deputy leader, said he had been devastated" that the state's most senior Liberal woman, Natalie Ward, was not preselected in the ultra-safe seat of Davidson and had been beaten by a former staffer, despite having the premier's support.

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