“It wasn’t until I got in the inside that I realised how bad it was,” she told Wilkinson.
“I thought the liberal party would be a slick corporate machine, but it wasn’t that at all… in relation to women it was decades behind the business world.”
Banks then went further to admit she had “experienced and witnessed an entrenched culture of anti-women behaviour.” She named this as the primary reason for her exit from the party.
On @theprojecttv tonight @Lisa_Wilkinson sits down for an exclusive interview with @juliabanksmp to talk about what really happened behind the scenes. https://t.co/aCenBlYJ83
— 10 daily (@10Daily) March 10, 2019
In terms of Malcolm Turnbull’s removal from office last year, Banks said it had nothing to do with interests of the nation.
“It was purely an act of revenge and of people wanting to be in positions of power.”
Pressed by Wilkinson as to who orchestrated Turnbull’s removal, Banks named names.
“It was certainly led by Tony Abbott. Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, Greg Hunt, they were the primary movers,” she admitted.
“I don’t think I have to explain to the Australian public about Tony Abbott. It is very well documented.”
When Julia Banks quit the Liberal party she accused her former colleagues of bullying, but refused to name the men responsible.@LisaWilkinson sat down with the newly independent MP to ask her about dirty tricks in and out of the party room. #TheProjectTV pic.twitter.com/bCOqm0JXOC
— The Project (@theprojecttv) March 10, 2019
According to Banks, the departure of various moderate Liberal MPs from politics in recent months including Julie Bishop, shows the “power of the conservative force” in the party. She also noted that she voted for Julie Bishop and Malcolm Turnbull in last year’s leadership spill.
“In the business world, if you laid out the three CVs on the table… Peter Dutton, Scott Morrison and Julie Bishop, you’d turf the other two out and say she’s the one,” Banks said.
“Julie Bishop is the prime minister we should have had and never will have.”