Kerryn Phelps will continue to speak up on major issues in life after parliament

With her political career at its end, Kerryn Phelps has vowed to remain vocal and continue to use her platform to speak out about climate change and refugees in her life after parliament.

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“Try and stop me.”

That’s the message from former Wentworth federal independent MP Kerryn Phelps on continuing to fight for the issues close to home.

In the week since losing her seat to Dave Sharma, the former Australian Medical Association president has had time for reflection with family.

The defeat, however crushing it may have felt in the short term, has not hampered her resolve.

While she has not decided on what the future holds, Dr Phelps is not going away.

Dr Phelps embraced by daughter Gabi after her concession in the 2019 federal election. Picture: John Appleyard

In her post-parliamentary career, she plans to use her platform to speak out on everything from climate change to Medevac.

“There won’t be a shortage of things to speak about,” she said.

For the moment, it is the future of the historic bill she helped usher through parliament that gives her some cause for concern.

“I think that the Prime Minister’s decision to name the repealing of Medevac as a top priority is worrying,” Dr Phelps said.

“There are so many more major issues like water management and the health system and the fact he is trying to stop refugees getting healthcare is regrettable.”

Dr Phelps is planning on spending time with family before deciding what the future holds. Picture: John Appleyard

Dr Phelps will return to duties at her GP practice and with the City of Sydney Council in the short term.

Looking back on a whirlwind seven months in the nation’s capital, Dr Phelps said the door was not fully shut on working within “Australian public life” again, but noted her time in parliament had taught her a lot.

“I may have been new as an MP but I was not new to Canberra,” she said.

“But there is nothing like being on the inside of that process.”

As the first female MP for Wentworth, and the first to snatch the seat from the Liberals in almost a century, Dr Phelps singled out the funding commitments she was able to secure by making it a marginal seat as key highlights of her short stint in politics.

“It was a moment in time and to have the balance of power was incredible,” she said.