Quietly published Liberal Party paper raises gender membership concerns

The Liberal Party has quietly published a paper that grapples with the party's gender and age woes. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)

The Liberals have quietly published a paper that floats offering a cut price $10 digital membership to join the party, in an effort to offset its declining numbers, which it says without renewal, leave the party effectively operating as a leaky bucket.

Under the proposal up for discussion, the party would offer a range of memberships from a community tier priced between $40 to $60 that would "target people seeking identity, discussion and social connection rather than heavy activism".

This would also give people access to some events, including possibly the right to vote at a local preselection.

Opposition Leader Angus Taylor accuses Anthony Albanese of starting a war on aspiration with the recent federal budget.

The publication of the discussion paper, led by senator James McGrath, coincided with the weekend of the Liberal Party's federal council, held in Victoria.

It also proposes to address the lack of young people in the party, with a $10 digital-only tier aimed at targeting "time-poor professionals, parents, younger people and those wary of time commitment".

The paper argues this kind of membership is intended to create a pipeline for full membership, but allows a more flexible path to involvement with the party, exclusively designed for online participation, with the paper warning the party should consider reducing its reliance on meeting-driven branch culture.

"Many prospective members do not want to attend procedural meetings," the report reads.

"They want purposeful activity and interesting events with meaningful impact. The party should treat membership as a core growth engine: if membership is stronger, more representative, and more engaged, the party is better positioned to win and to govern. Improving the membership experience should be considered both an organisational necessity and an electoral growth strategy."

The discussion paper floats offering a cut price $10 digital membership to join the party. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)

The discussion paper also spoke about the need to get more women into the party, but again stopped short of proposing the adoption of quotas.

"The party has seen a significant decline in support among professional women," the paper notes.

"In 2019 the Liberal Party held 23 out of 50 electorates with the highest number of managerial and professional women. We now hold just two."

That sobering assessment demonstrates the significant challenge the Liberal Party faces in winning back s