Backbencher

When I was watching "McCloed's Daughters" on Saturday the little area of cattle stations was losing their nurse practitioner to another town. So the Oldest sister who has a baby staged a women's breastfeeding sit in on the cattle men's club with other women of the area. They talk about how these clubs have a lot of power to get things done for the district or town they come from. In this case the women wanted them to ask the government to get a new nurse practitioner in the district. Do the cattle men's have that much power to get the government to take notice and do what the cattle men's club want them to? And what exactly is the power that these clubs have?

I know that in the United States these clubs have little influence on government affairs. They tend to be more of and excuse to have a party and get drunk. What exactly is the differences and similarities between cattle men's club in Australia and the United States?