‘Women left behind again’: Nationals’ choice of federal director angers female candidates

The Nationals have appointed the former state director of the LNP in Queensland, Lincoln Folo, as the party's new federal director in a move that has angered female candidates who had been pitching for cultural change within the party.

Guardian Australia understands that four male candidates were interviewed for the role but the three female candidates did not advance to the interview stage.

Folo was endorsed by the party's federal management committee on Monday night on the recommendation of the party's president, Kay Hull, the former president Larry Anthony and the federal secretary Emma Watts.

A senior Nationals source said female candidates had felt aggrieved by the move, particularly after the party's leader, David Littleproud, had indicated he had wanted to see more women put their hands up for leadership positions.

"I want to create an environment where they feel comfortable coming forward," Littleproud told Sky News Australia after becoming the party's new leader in July.

"Invariably I believe that they would shine through."

One of the unsuccessful female candidates, who did not want to be named, told Guardian Australia that she was disappointed in the process.

"The Nationals won't change as long as the old boys club continue to put their mates in roles to cling on to power. It's jobs for the boys and the women get left behind again," she said, pointing to research that showed women were abandoning the party.

"Why would you blame them when women in the system can't even get a seat at the table?"

Hull told Guardian Australia that she stood by the process, and argued that the party was already demonstrating cultural change and should be congratulated.

She said Folo was the best qualified person for the role "without exception".

"We have given feedback to those females and males who were not successful for this position, and they have been given advice and also offered assistance on putting forth their CVs and how they compile their CVs to respond to the criteria," Hull told Guardian Australia.

"Everybody who put their name forward is very valuable and we are overjoyed by the fact that they want to join our team and be a part of the Nationals, but there is only one position, and there is only going to be one happy person."

Hull said the party had previously had two female presidents, and said the party "deserved credit for the cultural change we are already demonstrating".

"We don't have anything to apologise for."

Littleproud said in a statement that he had "the upmost confidence in the process and outcome".

"This was a meritorious process, where two out of three people on the selection panel were women," he said.

The Nationals Senate leader, Bridget McKenzie, a member of the federal management committee that signed off on the appointment, said she would not comment on the internal process for appointing the new federal director.

"I look forward to working with Lincoln, and I will always encourage women to put their names forward for consideration," she told Guardian Australia.