While there were a number of Labor MPs who lined up to speak on that motion, there was just a single Coalition member: outgoing MP Karen Andrews.

She said she hadn't intended to make a speech on the motion but wanted to make some observations, given her opinion on gender quotas had softened over the years.

"Initially, I would have to say I have always been opposed to quotas because I never wanted to be considered to have been appointed into a role for anything other than my ability to do the job," Andrews said.

"What I have seen over the last decade at least, has made me soften my views into opposing quotas."

She said her concern is that parliament needed to "truly reflect the people of Australia".

"I look at this side of the house, and I look at the female representation that we have here, and I am absolutely convinced that we need to do better.

"We need to make sure that we are doing all that we can to promote this as a workplace that is desirable for women to enter. We need to promote it from the Coalition's point of view, in my view, as a welcoming place for women to be a part of.

"Now, historically, we have always been of the view that you get pre selected based on merit, but sometimes you look around and you think, well, maybe merit only applies in certain circumstances and basically merit and the appointment of people on merit is often used to stop women from progressing."

Andrews has previously raised the prospect of quotas within the Liberal Party.