Premier Mike Baird has used a speech to the Liberal's state council on Saturday morning to express his revulsion at a sexist attack on former environment minister Robyn Parker and to outline a push to recruit women to the Liberal Party.
Nationals MP John Williams made the comments about Ms Parker during his bid for preselection in April because he was angry at a decision by her department.
Mr Baird told the council the ''extremely sexist and offensive comments, directed at a senior and highly valued member of our team from one of our Coalition colleagues'' were ''so abhorrent'' that he could not repeat the words. The way Ms Parker dealt with the comments was a testament to her character, he said.
''The class of Robyn Parker was there for everyone to see,'' Mr Baird said. ''We want to encourage more women into Parliament and I believe that comments like these only serve to drive women away - and who could blame them?''
Ms Parker told Fairfax Media she appreciated Mr Baird taking action.
"If this issue, along with the indications of a decline in numbers of women in the NSW Parliament have served as a wake up call to many that is a very good thing," she said on Sunday.
"We need to understand the barriers to greater participation of women in leadership roles in the workforce broadly, and develop a sustainable, long term, multifaceted approach."
Deputy Liberal leader Gladys Berejiklian has been given the task of identifying and nurturing more women into the senior ranks of the party.
The number of women in the NSW upper house, across all parties, is expected to plummet after the election next year. But Mr Baird said the reforms would see results by the 2019 election.
Mr Williams apologised to Ms Parker on ABC Radio after The Sun-Herald story, which revealed Mr Williams had threatened in front of 100 Nationals members to ''tear her [Ms Parker] a new orifice''. He also said the former minister had ''never had a real man''.
Multiple sources who attended the Nationals preselection meeting at Parliament House on April 4 said they were offended by Mr Williams' comments.
Mr Baird also announced that former NSW premier John Fahey will take charge of the NSW Liberal Party's finances, property and fund-raising in response to revelations in corruption inquiries.
Liberal Party figures were hauled in front of the Independent Commission Against Corruption this year, after allegations that party members had used secret slush funds to receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in illegal donations as a pay-off for political favours.
With Alexandra Back
