Fresh report decries Banks’s hustings form

A second report surfaces, accusing ex-Lib Julia Banks of mistreating her 2016 campaign volunteers.

Independent MP Julia Banks. Picture: David Geraghty

Former federal Liberal MP Julia Banks was excoriated in a second campaign report that accused her of mistreating volunteers, failing to turn up to some events and playing factional games in 2016.

The report by a campaign worker accuses Ms Banks of “a remarkable lack of consideration” of her volunteers and campaign team. The Australian has seen a copy of the second campaign report written after she won the seat for the Liberal Party.

Her style attracted criticism from some people assigned to help her but Ms Banks also had her defenders in Chisholm until she quit the party and the seat.

The second report comes despite Ms Banks accusing Liberal colleagues of bullying and intimidation, which sparked in part her decision to quit the party and contest the Victorian Liberal seat of Flinders against Health Minister Greg Hunt.

The Australian is not saying the allegations against Ms Banks are accurate, only that they were made in the context of the campaign. Lawyers for Ms Banks said she would sue if the claims were published; the claims have previously been rejected by the former Liberal MP.

The second campaign report seen by The Australian accused Ms Banks of not coming to some campaign events, such as railway ­station meetings, and when she did turn up she was often late.

“Julia Banks showed a remarkable lack of consideration for her volunteers and campaign team and shunned anyone who tried to advise her against what she wanted to do,” the campaign report reads.

“Granted, every candidate takes some time to settle in but it is unfortunate that her insecurities became catalysts for disagreements and rudeness rather than an opportunity for her to appreciate others’ experience and as a result she jumped right in to playing factional games and shamelessly sidelining people …”

Ms Banks has strongly defended herself against internal Liberal ­attacks on her behaviour.

The report was prepared by a campaign worker who does not want to be publicly identified to prevent it affecting future employment prospects.

In September when the first campaign report was revealed by The Australian, Ms Banks said: “Should such false allegations be published, I reserve my full legal rights.”

The first report complained of a high churn of volunteers and paid staff, adding that Ms Banks’s treatment of Liberal helpers had been “unprecedented”. “There is no other way than saying her treatment of most members of the Federal Electorate Conference was appalling and would be completely unacceptable in a workplace, let alone a volunteer organisation,” the first report said.

The Australian has been aware of the second campaign report for several months and it has emerged at the end of the 2019 election, probably designed to exact maximum disruption to her bid to win Flinders, which has been a relatively safe Liberal seat.

The bid to discredit Ms Banks comes amid deep Liberal dis­appointment in her old seat of Chisholm, which is expected to be won by Labor on Saturday.

The second campaign report declared: “… when the candidate fails to turn up to campaign, why should volunteers give their own time to do so? On the occasions that she did turn up, she was regularly late and never acknowledged this fact or apologised.”

Ms Banks is running as an independent candidate for Flinders.