Q&A recap: Amanda Vanstone lashes out at Julia Banks over bullying claims

Amanda Vanstone has lashed out at Julia Banks over the party bullying claims that saw her join the crossbench.

The Q&A panel on Monday night.

Former Liberal senator Amanda Vanstone has lashed out at now Independent MP Julia Banks over the party bullying claims that saw her join the crossbench.

Appearing on ABC’s Q&A on Monday night, Ms Vanstone was joined by Assistant Home Affairs Minister Linda Reynolds, Labor senator Lisa Singh, musician and activist Billy Bragg and people’s panellist and businessman Martin Matthews, for a program that discussed talk of an early federal election, schoolchildren protesting over climate change, and the political role of music.

“Everyone says poor Julia Banks was bullied. Unless I’ve been in some coma, I haven’t read what bullying she was subjected to, by whom and when?” Ms Vanstone said.

Parliament has been criticised for it’s sexism, bullying, and a lack of gender diversity, so how can we motivate young women to pursue a career in politics? #QandA pic.twitter.com/LhKCQs6s6q

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 3, 2018

“I’m a bit annoyed at the people who say, ‘I’ve been bullied’. Have you really? Let’s deal with it. But just ‘I’ve been bullied and I want attention for it’, and I’m leaving because they bully me.’”

“If I was there, I wouldn’t be putting up with it,” she said.

EARLY ELECTION

On the same day former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull called on Scott Morrison to hold an early election to bear the brunt of Liberal Party “brand damage”, Ms Vanstone said “if it was up to me I wouldn’t call an election because someone told me to. Especially a prime minister who had a chance to go earlier himself and didn’t.”

Would it be in the best interest of the Coalition and Australians to call an election as soon as possible? #QandA pic.twitter.com/bbiQRdujUK

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 3, 2018

Linda Reynolds said there was “no reason” her government should go to an early election.

“People have elected this government to do its full term and the government will do that. We’re getting on with business.”

“What people don’t realise is we’ve been a very good government. Sometimes it gets a bit lost … The government is getting on,” she said.

CLIMATE CHANGE & PROTESTS

Billy Bragg said he found it “unbelievable” that children protesting over climate change inaction last week were told they should have stayed in school.

“The future of the planet is really in their hands. It’s their future we’re talking about. Of course they should be able to make a stand.

“Particularly when they’re being told by government ministers they should go back and learn more about coal. We don’t need to learn any more about coal. They know about coal, that’s why they’re on the street,” he said.

People’s panellist Martin Matthews said “it’s fantastic to see them out there and having a voice”.

When will the Government listen to our children by acting on climate change and creating a strong climate policy? #QandA pic.twitter.com/fXCs0QGkn3

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 3, 2018

“I attended a National Youth Parliament in 1999 when I was 21 years old. So that’s 20 years ago and in that Youth Parliament we passed a cap and trade emissions trading scheme.

“This is an issue that the youth of Australia have been talking about for such a long time, that they’re no longer young.

“It’s quite extraordinary at this point that we still don’t have any kind of coherent national policy on energy.

“As a business person, business people like certainty and the energy industry needs certainty in order to be able to act on this,” Mr Matthews said.

Labor senator Lisa Singh said the government’s policy on energy was a sign “they’ve given up on governing”.

“Power prices have continued to go up under the Coalition. And emissions have continued to go up since 2011.

“We’re not on track at all. And the reason we’re not on track goes back to this infighting within the Liberal Party between those that don’t want action on climate change to those that do,” she said.

MUSIC & POLITICS

Asked if he thought the modern music industry had moved away from engaging with contemporary politics in the way it had during his youth, Mr Bragg said that “music has lost its vanguard role in youth culture”.

“When I was first making music in the seventies at 19 and wanted to talk about the world, I couldn’t get on Q&A.

Has contemporary music all gone a bit centrist, in much the same way as contemporary politics? #QandA pic.twitter.com/skLebwN4ok

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) December 3, 2018

“Music was our social medium. It told us how to dress, it told us who to like, it told us who to not like, how to hang out.

“Now if you’re 19 and you’re angry about the world, you’ve got a number of different ways you can express yourself on blogs, you make a film on your phone.

“Music gives you something you can’t get on the internet which is a sense of communion. Whether it’s a political song or a love song, music can make you feel empathy for people you’ve never met and for situations you yourself have never been in,” he said.