Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has spearheaded condemnation of a controversial jab at”assertive” Liberal women, saying she wants them to join the party.

Ley, the first woman to lead the federal Coalition, said her party must reflect a modern Australia.

It follows comments from a former Liberal federal president, Alan Stockdale, who reportedly said women had become “so assertive” that party might need to consider support for men.

“There is nothing wrong with being an assertive woman; in fact I encourage assertive women to join the Liberal Party,” Ley said on Thursday.

“The Liberal Party must reflect, respect and represent modern Australia and that means recognising the strength, merit and leadership of the women in our ranks.”

Stockdale, who was treasurer under ex-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett, made the comments at the women’s executive gathering on Tuesday night.

“The women in this party are so assertive now that we may needs some special rules for men to get them preselected,” the 80-year-old told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women’s Council, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Stockdale later told the Telegraph he had made “a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark”.

Deputy opposition leader Ted O’Brien questioned Stockdale’s comments, and appealed to strong women to join the Liberals.

“To any of the assertive women out there, the Liberal Party is your party,” he told ABC’s News Breakfast on Thursday.

“We need more women engaging with our party, running for our party.

“I’m proud to have Sussan Ley as our leader.”

The Liberals have long been accused of having a “women problem” with female candidates put into unwinnable positions and the party shedding support among its female voter base.

This was laid bare at its landslide federal election loss in May.

During the campaign, the Liberals announced a policy requiring public servants to stop working from home.

It was blamed for alienating women voters, many of whom use working from home to balance their jobs with child care and other duties.

The NSW division of the Liberal Party, in particular, has been in turmoil after it failed to nominate more than 140 candidates for the local government elections last September.

Stockdale was one of three senior Liberals appointed to oversee the party in NSW after a controversial federal takeover.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also took aim on Thursday at Stockdale’s remark.

“Of all people to make that statement to, that somehow you might need to actually have discrimination in favour of men because women were too assertive in the Liberal Party, [it] has been met with derision by members of the Liberal Party, particularly the Liberal women’s group that he was addressing,” he said.

“I think people just shake their heads.”

Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie and former Labor premier for Queensland Anna Palaszczuk joined forces to condemn Mr Stockdale’s remarks.

“Honestly, Alan, read the room,” McKenzie told Nine’s Today show on Thursday.

“It was a shocking comment – I think it’s time for Alan to head back to the Melbourne Club, have a stiff whisky and chat with the old boys about what went wrong.”

Palaszczuk said she couldn’t believe it.

“You’ve finally got one step forward for the Liberal Party with Sussan Ley being elected [federal leader], and it’s three steps backwards with these comments,” she told Today.

“These are not appropriate in this day and age, and honestly, the Liberal Party needs a good hard look at themselves, especially the men.”

-with AAP