Senior Liberals say party must address women problem and regain centre after election loss

Simon Birmingham said the party had paid the price for pre-selecting the divisive candidate Katherine Deves in Warringah. Photograph: Roy Vandervegt/AAP

Senior Liberals have criticised the preselection process in New South Wales and called on the party to address the issue of women in the party and climate change after the party was savaged by voters at the polls on Saturday.

Matt Kean, the NSW treasurer and a leading moderate, said the lesson of Saturday night was “when the Liberal party goes too far to the right we lose in the centre”.