The Victorian Liberals secretly considered setting time limits on underperforming MPs and creating an “A-List” of women for preselection, but failed to act in time to avoid a rout at this year's election.

Internal documents obtained by The Age reveal that the bold ideas to deal with a lack of diversity in the party's ranks came out of a confidential Liberal survey five years ago of almost 1400 branch members, amid growing concerns that the party was not doing enough to renew itself.

Michael O'Brien is the new leader of the Liberal Party, with Cindy McLeish as his deputy. Credit:Paul Jeffers

The study also confirmed that Liberal men and women are treated differently as part of the preselection process, with 13 percent of male branch members believing women do not have the same ability as men to be an MP, and nearly one third of all respondents saying women with children were unable to put in the hours required.

The survey was conducted in December 2013 as part of an internal scholarship awarded to then MP Margaret Fitzherbert. It was presented to senior officials months before the Napthine Government lost office the following year after a single term.