Women and young people living in regional Australia will be the focus of a Nationals Party "listening tour" launched in an effort to understand why voters ditched the coalition at the federal election.
After failing to pick up additional seats in May and facing challenges to their strongholds in upcoming state elections, Nationals leader David Littleproud said the party needed to rebuild trust.
"We need to be honest with ourselves about the outcome of the (federal) election. We can't hide from it and we can't ignore it," he told AAP.
Mr Littleproud said internal polling before and after May 21 showed a perception among rural and regional Australians that the Liberal-National coalition did not understand women and young people.
"It's not about moving away from the values that make us the National Party but ensuring our message is tailored, he said.
"We are serious about addressing the challenges women and young people in the regions face."
Childcare was one such issue and Mr Littleproud said the government needed to address accessibility as much as affordability.
"The answer is not just throwing billions of dollars at the childcare system, it's also about availability," he said.
"Particularly in regional Australia there is a barrier to women wanting to return to the workforce because of a lack of childcare services."
Mr Littleproud said the party would listen to regional Australians and ensure their voices were heard in Canberra.
"There are many challenges facing people in regional Australia and we want them to know we represent them in Canberra," he said.
The regional listening tour will travel across the country, starting in Victoria and followed by NSW, Queensland and Western Australia.
Mr Littleproud said forums, round tables, school visits and pub stops would give the party an opportunity to hear from a wide range of voters.
