How the Liberal Party can deal with its "man problem" (and congrats to Eureka prize winners)

Editor's note

Do the Liberals have a “woman problem”? No, argues Chris Wallace, they have a man problem, and it’s time they fixed it. Liberal women need to organise themselves in a way that will end the male monoculture and shame bad behaviour, as conservative women in other Western countries have done - and, among other things, the party must embrace quotas. As Wallace says, you can’t beat thugs through appeasement. You’ve got to get rid of them.

In happier news, last night the winners of the 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes were announced. These reward excellence in the fields of research & innovation, leadership, science engagement and school science. We’re delighted that some of our most popular The Conversation authors were amongst the winners – astrophysicist and science communicator Alan Duffy, mathematician Nalini Joshi, and renewable energy specialists Andrew Blakers, Matthew Stocks and Bin Lu.

Congratulations to all the awardees and finalists from us here at The Conversation.

Sarah Keenihan

Section Editor: Science + Technology

Top story

The Liberal Party room is dominated – and increasingly so over the past generation – by male MPs who anoint leaders in their own image. AAP/Lukas Coch

A ‘woman problem’? No, the Liberals have a ‘man problem’, and they need to fix it

Chris Wallace, Australian National University

Other conservatives parties in the Western world have done better on female representation than the Liberals - the party needs a gender quota and to rid itself of its right-wing thugs.

Politics + Society

Could Section 44 exclude Tony Abbott and Barnaby Joyce from parliament?

Luke Beck, Monash University

While there is no evidence that Abbott and Joyce have accepted a salary for their special envoy roles, an offer of payment, if there was one, could cause them problems.
Liberal MP Julia Banks to quit at election, calling out bullying

Michelle Grattan, University of Canberra

In announcing she would not contest the next election, the member for the highly-marginal Chisholm has cited bullying and intimidation for provoking her decision.

Science + Technology

Gaming for the environment, nanotech and a super-accurate clock: Australian science at the 2018 Eureka Prizes

Ellen Rochelmeyer, The Conversation

The 2018 Australian Museum Eureka Prize winners include astrophysicist and science communicator Alan Duffy and the citizen science app QuestaGame.
Digital inclusion in Tasmania has improved in line with NBN rollout – will the other states follow?

Julian Thomas, RMIT University; Chris K Wilson, RMIT University

Tasmania's digital inclusion increased dramatically and more than the national average from 2017 to 2018. This change is underpinned by a doubling of access to NBN in Tasmania in that period.

Business + Economy
Better than the alternative. What the market thought of ScoMo Mark Humphery-Jenner, UNSW The share market jumped after Scott Morrison won the leadership, and for once the jump seems to mean something.

Education

Gender quotas and targets would speed up progress on gender equity in academia

Joanne Pyke, Victoria University; Kate White, Federation University Australia

Without affirmative action through gender quotas and targets, we will have another 30 years of glacial progress on gender equity in academia.
Planned closures of charter schools in New Zealand prompt debate about Māori self-determination

Dominic O'Sullivan, Charles Sturt University

The New Zealand government's move to close charter schools as part of its education reform has prompted strong Māori criticism.

Arts + Culture

Guide to the classics: Donald Trump’s Brave New World and Aldous Huxley’s dystopian vision

Keith Booker, University of Arkansas; Isra Daraiseh

A lack of respect for history, a population conditioned to consume goods at breakneck pace, and pacification of individuals via an entertainment culture: parts of Huxley's novel strikingly resemble our own world.
An ape in anguish: Brett Whiteley’s Sacred baboon

Ted Snell, University of Western Australia

Throughout his life, Brett Whiteley made images of apes and monkeys. He found much in their character and physiognomy to identify with.

Environment + Energy

New solar cells offer you the chance to print out solar panels and stick them on your roof

Paul Dastoor, University of Newcastle

The first commercial-scale installation of rooftop solar cells, printed with specialised inks, is a step towards an energy future in which solar power can be stuck to any roof or structure.
Local communities need more reassurance about the legacy left by coal seam gas wells

Tom Measham, CSIRO; Cameron Huddlestone-Holmes, CSIRO

The coal seam gas industry and its regulators still have work to do in persuading local communities that old wells can be decommissioned without future problems, according to new CSIRO research.

Health + Medicine
What type of relationship should I have with my co-parent now we’re divorced? Kristin Natalier, Flinders University Here are some ways you can successfully co-parent after a divorce. You don't have to be best friends, you just have to think of the kids.

Cities
Our new PM wants to ‘bust congestion’ – here are four ways he could do that Jake Whitehead, The University of Queensland Busting congestion requires some creativity - and evidence-based methods. Here are four of these.