Leanne Castley is already party-less but some Liberals want her gone entirely

Leanne Castley will serve as an independent member for Yerrabi. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie) Link copiedShareShare articleWhether they're being driven away or choosing to jump in a getaway car, the women who have recently led the Canberra Liberals are no longer anywhere near the driver's seat. And that's a problematic pattern for the territory's entrenched opposition, who are now not only down a member in the ACT Legislative Assembly but also missing a shadow minister for women in Leanne Castley. The former leader quit the party yesterday, citing a "toxic culture", including "bullying, intimidation, lies and a threat of physical assault". This claim was quickly rejected by her successor, Mark Parton, who instead described discussions within the party as "robust". But commentators with an eye on women in politics see something different. Academic advocate for gender equity Virginia Hausseggar says women in politics are held to different standards. (Supplied) Journalist and academic advocate for gender equity Virginia Haussegger says it's logical to excuse the ugly parts of politics as a bruising game that's not for the faint-hearted. After all, it's public, fast-paced, and everyone's a stakeholder. But she says the problem is there are different rules for women. "Here we are again … talking about the need for women to toughen up when it comes to politics," Ms Haussegger told 666 ABC Canberra. "There's absolutely no doubt that we hold women to a higher standard in politics than men and we see this over and over again. "We saw it with the departure of the last [federal] Liberal Party leader Sussan Ley, who was held to a very high standard — standards that we don't hold men to. "It's quite interesting if we reflect on some of the things Barnaby Joyce has done publicly. He was paralytic with his drunkenness, such that he was lying on the ground in the gutter. "If a woman did that, she would no longer be showing her face in public." She says it's true that politics is a "rough game" and that both male and female leaders will sledge rivals. But she adds girls with political ambitions are being dissuaded by instances of nastiness — and that's the real shame. Leanne Castley's move to the crossbench was labelled a "betrayal" by former ACT chief minister Gary Humphries. (ABC News: Callum Flinn) Ms Castley might now be party-less, but former ACT chief minister Gary Humphries would like to see her out of the assembly entirely. "Leanne Castley won her seat because she was a Liberal and now … to carry that seat off to the crossbench, I think is an act of betrayal to the people who voted for her because she was a Liberal," Mr Humphries said. But did Yerrabi voters elect her because she was a Liberal? Or was it because she was the self-proclaimed "chick from Charny"? That playful title hasn't yet been removed from the Canberra Liberals' online profile about Ms Castley, with the blurb also stating that "politics was never on Leanne's radar". Being a non-career politician is viewed as a positive attribute, particularly when a party is running a new candidate. It tells the electorate: they are just like us. But some in the Canberra Liberals will be wondering whether those same attributes make it more difficult for a member to find their place in the party. Canberra Liberals leader Mark Parton has rejected claims of a toxic culture in his party. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie) Mr Humphries, who has watched the party struggle since he was at the helm decades ago, believes Mr Parton can unite the team. "I'm convinced that the people of Canberra want to vote for an alternative. They simply haven't seen a viable alternative until recently," he said yesterday. "[Canberra] will be rooting for the party to get its act together. They know that if a Liberal party doesn't present a viable alternative, particularly in this territory, then they're doomed to keep electing a Labor government." And with one fewer member, the party might be easier to unite, particularly as Ms Castley hasn't had an unblemished record, according to some of her former colleagues. Ms Castley has drawn criticism over a series of decisions while in leadership, which saw Elizabeth Lee and Peter Cain shut out of decision-making before being "suspended indefinitely" from the party room after they crossed the floor during a vote about sitting weeks. Their suspension was later revoked by Mr Parton. And while the Canberra Liberals are shrinking, the number of independents in the assembly has grown to three. Independent member for Kurrajong Thomas Emerson has already shown that a single ACT politician can be effective on a broad range of issues. MLA Thomas Emerson says being an independent has its benefits. (ABC News: Stuart Carnegie) He's been his own spokesperson for everything from women's safety to footpaths to whistleblowing — and he doesn't lose sleep over messy politicking. "I think the toxic nature of politics that has been here is one

Leanne Castley is already party-less but some Liberals want her gone entirely

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