‘The Liberal Party is great for women? LOL’
Independent MPs Dr Kerryn Phelps and Julia Banks speak out about the gender imbalance in parliament and reveal how claims to the contrary make them “laugh out loud”.
Stellar
Don't miss out on the headlines from Stellar. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- How Gladys Berejiklian keeps up with The Kardashians
- Isa Guha: Meet the woman making history this summer
From rebellious public speeches to open revolt, 2018 was the year women started speaking up (and acting up) in Australia’s federal parliament.
Now, as the country heads into an election year amid loudening community calls for a cultural change in the traditionally male-dominated corridors of power, two of the political landscape’s biggest headline stealers, Dr Kerryn Phelps and Julia Banks, sit down with Stellar to share what they have learnt, what they’re looking forward to — and why they believe that the chaos of the past year has seen more women than ever wanting to make their political mark.
Julia, the speech you made in Parliament to resign from the Liberal Party and defect to the crossbench in November last year was an explosive moment. Did you have any idea it was going to blow up the way it did?
JULIA BANKS: I’d played it through in my mind quite a lot. It was important to have said this wasn’t just something that happened in the vortex of the leadership coup week. This was a cumulative period of appalling behaviour I had witnessed, or had experienced myself, or observed from the time I joined the party.
But definitely the leadership coup week [when Malcolm Turnbull was replaced by Scott Morrison in August 2018] was my last straw.
So my first statement was to announce I wouldn’t recontest [the seat of Chisholm as a member of the Liberal Party] and then subsequent to that a number of events happened where I thought I can’t genuinely sit here and best represent the interests of a local community while there’s that natural constraint where you can’t say what you think or what you really believe.
Looking back, would you do anything differently?
JB: No. I’m a strong believer there’s a positive in every negative. I really believe this is a very important time in history where Australians, particularly women, are speaking up.
We are the daughters of women who often couldn’t speak up for whatever reason, or felt constrained. And it’s really important to do that — in business, in politics, in sport, in rural Australia.
Kerryn, you played an important role in this watershed moment for women. Tell us about your involvement.
KERRYN PHELPS: I think the Wentworth by-election [held last October in which Phelps’s victory as an Independent saw the Morrison government lose its majority] was transformative for Australian politics.
The conversation turned to the role of Independents and away from the inevitability of party politics for the foreseeable future. After I won against the odds, I think communities everywhere who were frustrated with the current party political systems started to look at Independents in their local areas and encourage them to stand.
And I’ve been hearing from potential candidates all over the country who are intending to stand, or thinking about standing. In many cases, it’s women.
We’re now a few months down the track. Julia, how are you feeling about the events of late last year?
JB: I actually felt very empowered. Everywhere I go, people are still saying the leadership coup was ridiculous. They’re still saying, “Why isn’t Malcolm Turnbull our Prime Minister?” and talking about Kerryn, and my move as well.
There’s real momentum for that independent voice in Parliament.
But you also had to face down negativity and trolling online...
JB: Absolutely. I don’t think trolling’s nice for anyone. You need to find that reserve of courage and resilience, and it’s only that that will negate the criticism.
My decision came from a good place, a place of honesty, where I just thought, “I cannot fake it for the next nine months.” Because not only was I not being true to myself, I wasn’t being a representative.
Kerryn, how have you found your first few months as an MP?
KP: It’s intense. It’s fascinating. It’s worthwhile. I think we’ve managed to achieve an enormous amount just in those first couple of weeks of Parliament.
There was an agreement by the government to establish a National Integrity Commission.
There was the Senate passing the medical transfers bill for people who are sick on Manus and Nauru who can’t be treated there, to be transferred temporarily to Australia.
Climate change [also] became a potent political issue — something that started to be felt as a real community movement. It feels like there is a way forward beyond the impasse of the past few years.
In the wake of your defection, Julia, some of your former Liberal Party colleagues have gone on the offensive, arguing they are in fact a great party for women.
KP: [Laughs.] I think that gave a lot of people around Australia cause to laugh out loud.
JB: Including us on the crossbench...
Julia, you have also been accused by members of your former party of allowing Labor to capitalise on the events of last year.
JB: I just think it’s actually laughable. The whole country can see the accountability and responsibility for where the Liberal Party now is rests fairly and squarely with those who led the leadership coup: Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, Greg Hunt.
There has also been criticism that you didn’t name and shame the people in the party who intimidated and bullied you.
JB: My position on that is — and this is the marvellous thing about being an Independent — I don’t have to continue to talk about the dysfunction in the Liberal Party.
I would rather spend my time talking about things that matter to Australians because I feel it’s precious time in Parliament and it is an honour and a privilege to be a member of the House of Representatives.
I don’t want to get into name-calling; I’ve never been that person. For me it’s always been about the big picture, about working for the local community and talking about things that really matter.
High-profile women are often pitted against one another. As women, what are your thoughts on that?
JB: Kerryn and I don’t agree on everything, but it’s almost like if two women engage in respectful debate, they’ll be pitted against each other as not liking each other. Whereas if men do it, it’s normal.
It’s that same old chestnut: if a woman is assertive, she’s a bit aggressive. If a man is, he’s a damn good negotiator. All women across the parties cop it.
And certainly there was a whispering campaign against me following my statement. The reprisals and retribution were extraordinary.
[It’s] a classic case of what happens to women when they call out bad behaviour. They’re either regarded as overemotional, or a liar or a cheat, or they made it up.
MORE STELLAR:
Georgia Fowler: ‘Victoria’s Secret was always the goal’
Do we pay school teachers enough?
The Liberal Party is on track to have the lowest number of female candidates this century in the next election. How can they address this?
JB: In a court of law, I would say “I rest my case, Your Honour.” The Liberal Party has an incredible blockage of thought about quotas. The Liberal Party’s natural partners are the business community and [I’ve] seen targets work in business.
It’s a solution to a problem that has been used in other jurisdictions around the world and a really good reset mechanism.
It’s not saying if you’ve got four men and four women that you must pick the woman. You pick the best person for the role. But at least you start with a level playing field.
KP: I don’t think there’s some great conspiracy by men to stop women from going into positions, but I think there is an unconscious bias in the preselection processes that could be addressed by quotas. Once we have the balance, then I think that will have all sorts of knock-on effects.
Women in politics are demonised for speaking out against bullying and intimidation. Is this why they’re not considering it as a career path?
KP: I actually have people who are saying, “Thank you for speaking out. Thank you for being the voice I couldn’t be or I couldn’t have.” And one of the things about being Independent is you can be that voice for your community, that voice for the voiceless.
So rather than women being put off by the events of 2018, you think they’re compelled to support you?
KP: Absolutely.
JB: And that was my experience [too]. I think the example of Kerryn, and then myself, I believe this really is showing women there is another way. Modern Australia wants that balance.
Julia, will you be contesting the seat of Chisholm at this year’s election?
JB: I haven’t decided. All I can say is wherever I go, people are saying, “Stay in politics, we need Independent representatives.” But I’m still talking it through with my family.
Kerryn, if you lose Wentworth at the election, will it all have been worth it?
KP: I’m proceeding with realistic optimism. I don’t think anyone should ever go into an election expecting to win.
You should go into an election expecting that the people will deliver a verdict, and you should accept that verdict.
READ MORE EXCLUSIVES FROM STELLAR.
Originally published as ‘The Liberal Party is great for women? LOL’
‘Opens your eyes’: Pat Cummins on his mother’s death
As captain of the Australian cricket team, Pat Cummins is used to life in the sporting spotlight. But nothing prepared him for the loss of his true hero – his mother.
Mel Leong reflects on MasterChef exit
The former MasterChef judge opens up about leaving the reality series – and her latest role on the new season of Dessert Masters, as she teases what’s next.