The National party has failed for almost six months to fill a key leadership position designed to boost female representation in politics, despite internal pressure to do so.
The failure to replace Jess Price-Purnell as chair of the New South Wales Nationals women’s council has been labelled by some in the party as “a disgrace”.
Price-Purnell told the Guardian the fact her old position was still unfilled sent a “really, really poor message” to female voters, particularly at a time when they are marching in their thousands demanding justice from politicians.
The NSW women’s council is an important internal body for boosting women’s participation, helping to prepare candidates for preselection, promote them within the party and develop policy. The women’s council chair is elected by female members and provides a dedicated voice on the NSW Nationals’ central council, the party’s critical 92-member governing body that approves preselections in what are typically tightly run contests.
Senior party sources say that since Price-Purnell’s departure, female members have been lobbying the party to hold an annual general meeting so they can vote for a replacement before the looming preselections for the Senate.
“Many women, both local members and senior MPs, have voiced their concerns to women’s council and head office only to be told there is nothing [that] can be done,” one source, who requested anonymity to discuss internal party matters, told the Guardian.
“The fact that there isn’t a women’s delegate to central council for six months is a disgrace. We don’t need men to dictate to us on when women’s council can elect our leader – unfortunately on this occasion the boys’ club prevailed again.”
It is understood the party is organising a meeting to take place in May, which will facilitate a vote on the position just before the June preselection. That would leave the new chair with barely any time to help prepare candidates ahead of the Senate preselection.
In a statement, a spokesman for the Nationals said the party currently had “great volunteer vice-chairs who have taken on the additional workload of chair since late last year”.
“The women’s council is an extremely important part of our organisation and has been since its inception,” the spokesman said. “Women’s council will have plenty of opportunity to consider and mentor potential candidates ahead of the Senate preselection.”
Price-Purnell described the failure to replace her as “pretty poor” given the current focus on the treatment of women in politics.
She told the Guardian the NSW women’s council was only relatively new but had become crucial in training women to run for office and work on campaigns. The council also helped develop policies that “may have been overlooked” by men, including on childcare and education.
“So it’s pretty important, given what’s happening today across the country,” she said on Monday, the day of the March 4 Justice rallies.
She said the party has had ample opportunity to organise a vote on her replacement, and said the lack of action was a “really, really poor message to send” to women who might be considering voting for the Nationals.
“We’re pushing six months and nothing has been done, so I think it’s pretty poor form on behalf of the secretariat, and I assume the executive, to not allow this to happen in time for preselection.”
