Former federal Liberal MP Julia Banks has launched another scathing attack on Prime Minister Scott Morrison, while also alleging an unnamed senior cabinet minister touched her inappropriately at Parliament House.
Ms Banks, who was an ardent supporter of ousted prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, described Mr Morrison as being like a "menacing, controlling wallpaper" who was in control of "bully boys" who had hounded her.
Speaking on Today, Ms Banks said Mr Morrison was angry when she quit the Liberal Party in 2018 and claimed she had been the victim of media "backgrounding" to tarnish her reputation and attack the supposed state of her mental health.
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Her relationship with the PM became untenable, she said, after she voted for former Liberals MP Julie Bishop instead of Mr Morrison when Mr Turnbull was taken out in a leadership coup.
"I was one of only 11 people who voted for Julie Bishop, and I understand I was the only woman who voted for Julie Bishop," she said.
"He wasn't thrilled about that."
Calling out what she claimed was a toxic culture in the party, with the coup the final straw, Ms Banks signalled her intent to quit.
That was when Ms Banks said she found out sources in the party had been backgrounding the media to claim she "had suffered an emotional breakdown" and that she was "a complete mess".
"Scott Morrison found himself in a tricky position," Ms Banks said, "because he wanted to keep my vote."
"He sort of needed me in Parliament."
But she declined his offer of a ministerial position and "an all-expenses paid trip to New York".
That was when "all the reprisals and the backlash" started, Ms Banks said.
"I was under fire," she said.
She said she was being called "a weak petal" and "a bully bitch".
"I was wanting to tell him to tell his bully boys to back off," she told Today.
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Ms Banks moved to the crossbench as an independent MP after quitting the Liberal Party and later announced she would not contest her seat of Chisholm at the 2019 election.
She unsuccessfully ran as an independent against Liberal MP Greg Hunt in his seat at Flinders in the same election.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office this morning said: "The Prime Minister was disappointed in Ms Banks's decision to quit the parliamentary party and had several conversations with her to understand what she was going through to see what support could be offered before she made her decision."
"The Prime Minister absolutely rejects claims about the nature of those conversations," the spokesperson added.
In a new memoir, Ms Banks alleged an unidentified party colleague put his hand on her inner thigh and up her leg in an "astoundingly brazen" act.
Despite the allegation, Ms Banks said she would not make a statement or submission to the ongoing review of parliamentary workplace culture, which was triggered by the alleged rape of the former government staffer Brittany Higgins, because she did not trust the process.
"I am not the only woman who doesn't trust the process," she said.
"Because at the end of the process, because at the end of the day, that report is submitted to the government. It will be submitted to (Scott) Morrison.
"Based on my experience of backgrounding and leaks and confidentiality getting out, my view is I have said all I need to say in the book. And that was the most appropriate way for me to give that submission."
The alleged sexual misconduct occurred while Mr Turnbull was Prime Minister.
She claimed the reporting process of sexual misconduct in parliament was flawed and left women vulnerable and exposed.
At the time of her allegation, Ms Banks said "at least five other Liberal MPs" had called out bad behaviour but had since "gone underground".
The statement from the Prime Minister's Office said: "The Prime Minister is not aware of any allegations of sexual harassment Ms Banks faced. Any such behaviour is completely inappropriate.
"Everyone has a right to feel safe in their workplace, and the work currently underway by Kate Jenkins will continue to improve Parliament's workplace culture."
Watch the full interview with Julia Banks in the video player above.
