Q&A recap: Medical evacuations, banking royal commission, women in the Liberal Party

Kerryn Phelps has denied her offshore medical transfer bill would equate to a vote of no confidence in the government.

Kerryn Phelps appears on the ABC's Q&A.

Independent MP Kerryn Phelps has denied her bill to allow medical evacuations from Nauru and Manus Island at the discretion of doctors would equate to a vote of no confidence in the government.

Dr Phelps made the comments on ABC’s Q&A, where she was joined on the panel by Greens MP Adam Bandt, and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie, Rebekha Sharkie and Julia Banks for the first episode of the program for 2019.

There was little disagreement or argument between panellists, with most the most heated challenge coming from audience members in a discussion that spanned the banking royal commission, medical evacuations from offshore detention centres, and women in the Liberal Party.

EVACUATIONS FROM OFFSHORE DETENTION

Ahead of her bill to allow medical evacuations from Nauru and Manus Island at the opinion of two doctors, Kerryn Phelps denied that the legislation would equate to a vote of no confidence in the government if it passed.

Who should be held responsible if there are further deaths of asylum seekers on Nauru or Manus? #QandA pic.twitter.com/kDf5ZltXZQ

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) February 4, 2019

“The best thing the government can do is to vote with this. It’s a medical solution to a medical problem.

“The government either wants to have humanitarian credentials or it doesn’t,” Dr Phelps said.

She also shot back at a question from the audience which asked “how she slept at night” knowing that her legislation would effectively send a green light to people smugglers sending refugees to Australia by boat.

“What I’ve tried to do is to break the deadlock by creating a medical solution to the medical part of this problem.

Does changing policy around refugees medivacs to Australia risk lives and encourage people smuggling? #QandA pic.twitter.com/ORkOlCiCc9

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) February 4, 2019

“It’s important to understand that Operation Sovereign Borders remains in place, this proposal doesn’t dilute border protection in any way, no matter what the government claims, the boat turnbacks will continue. That’s been the deterrent,” Dr Phelps said.

All of the other panellists said they would be supporting the bill.

Ms Sharkie said the bill was an “opportunity to take the politics out of this situation”.

“It’s been used as politics of fear by the government and by Labor over the years.

“I would like to see doctors given the opportunity to make the decisions around this because I think like most people in this audience, I trust doctors over politicians every time,” she said.

BANKING ROYAL COMMISSION

Former Liberal MP and now independent Julia Banks said banking royal commission report showed there was an “enormous obligation on the regulators”.

“I also do believe that accountability should also be imposed and shouldn’t be an imposition, it’s their job, for the regulators, to do their job and do it properly,” Ms Banks said.

Kerryn Phelps said “it’s absolutely essential that the recommendations of the royal commission are not only just considered but also put into place”.

“What we do need to brace ourselves for is a tighter lending environment for small business and for investors and possibly homeowners as banks tighten up the credit situation …. It remains to be seen what impact this will have on the economy,” she said.

#QandA is live with @juliabanksmp, @WilkieMP, @AdamBandt, @drkerrynphelps, and @MakeMayoMatter https://t.co/oQoyN7rkt8

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) February 4, 2019

Greens MP Adam Bandt said he didn’t think the recommendation went far enough, and that the Greens would support implementing all of the recommendations.

“The royal commission shows what happens when you have crossbenchers there, whether they’re in balance of power or not, we bring those things the others don’t like.

Mr Bandt also said it was time the Labor and Liberal parties gave back any donations they received from banks.

“If I was a victim I’d probably be a bit disappointed by the recommendations of the banking royal commission because I think they’ve had a look at the culture but they haven’t had a good look at the system,” Mr Bandt said.

Andrew Wilkie echoed his concerns that the recommendations didn’t go far enough.

“I do worry it’s in the DNA of the major parties to look out for the banks. Labor came to the party first. Good on them. But it’s still too late. The LNP came to the party way too late.

“I’m mindful in my time in parliament on more than one occasion I tried to move a bill that would set up a mandatory code of banking conduct and it achieved no support from either major party.

“So we’re going to have to keep pressure on these people. Whoever forms out next government needs to be fair dinkum on this,” Mr Wilkie said.

Rebekha Sharkie said the banking royal commission was the result of crossbenchers ‘showing a lot of courage’, and said she wanted to see the Prime Minister apologise as well as implement all of the recommendations from the report released yesterday.

“I think the Prime Minister, who was then the Treasurer, owes our nation an apology because he was dragged kicking and screaming to this and it should not have been that difficult,” she said.

WOMEN AND THE LIBERAL PARTY

In a question that referenced Ms Banks’s departure from the Liberal Party over claims of bullying of females in the party, the MP was asked if she would name the male bullies in her party so the electorate could vote accordingly.

Our questioner Kieran Simpson wants names named. @MakeMayoMatter and @juliabanksmp discuss the parliament's problem with women #QandA pic.twitter.com/c0pKGtyXf7

— ABC Q&A (@QandA) February 4, 2019

However Ms Banks did not reply specifically, saying she had experienced an “entrenched culture of anti-women” within the Liberal Party since her preselection in 2015.

“I’m not going to name the bullies because that will just give the Liberal Party opportunity to start talking about themselves.”

Discussing the representation of females in the Liberal Party, Ms Sharkie criticised the image of a frontbench dominated by ties.

“What message is that sending to our daughters? That we are a nation that is behind. I think we’re behind Kazakhstan virtually in female representation,” she said, which Ms Banks nodded to in agreement.

Ms Banks was also asked by host Tony Jones whether supporters of Scott Morrison went to her asking her to vote for Peter Dutton during an earlier spill motion to destabilise then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull.

She replied: “I couldn’t possibly comment on that because from my perspective”.