Julia Banks has unleashed on her former “eye-rolling” Liberal Party colleagues in a revealing new interview that also provides insight into allegations of bullying.

The former Liberal, who is MP for Chisholm, sensationally quit the party in November to sit as an independent instead. In the interview, she described what happened ahead of the leadership spill that saw Malcolm Turnbull toppled.

She also opened up about her cancer battle, her experiences of racism as the daughter of Greek migrants and her positive experience of gender quotas in the business world.

Ms Banks, a former corporate lawyer and mother-of-two, told The Weekly her resignation from the Liberal Party was driven partly by the anger she felt at how the coup against Mr Turnbull played out.

“It was all driven from Tony Abbott’s opposition,” she said. “Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton, Greg Hunt — that whole program to knife Malcolm was driven by and led by them.”

Ms Banks said “everyone was getting calls” as the rebellion grew and a WhatsApp chat group for moderates was being used to spread misinformation.

At one point she was directed to vote for Scott Morrison instead of Julie Bishop because it was suggested a vote for Ms Bishop would split the vote and allow Peter Dutton to win.

“I said no, I’m voting for Julie in the first round, and then I had people sent to me and phone calls, trying to move my vote,” she said.

“The thing that happens with bullying is people were afraid. They started becoming really concerned that Peter Dutton was seriously going to win. Men and women were being harassed and bullied.”

In her mind, Ms Banks thought Julie Bishop was the best candidate.

“If it wasn’t going to be Malcolm it had to be Julie. She’s 20 years in the parliament, lauded as the best foreign minister in the world, communication skills of a genius, and a woman. Seriously, a true Liberal and we knew Julie Bishop was Labor’s worst nightmare. I thought if it loses by one vote and it’s Peter Dutton then I’ll quit straight away.”

Ms Banks, a vocal advocate for gender equality, also revealed the condescending reaction she would get to her suggestions to reform the party.

“The party room was not what I expected. I spoke up many times and, particularly on programs about women, I’d get the eye-roll from the right-wing reactionary group,” she said.

When these same reactionaries seized control of the party during the leadership spill, Ms Banks knew she couldn’t stay.

The 56-year-old didn’t like behind-the-scenes behaviour including the “sniping” that went on behind her back, the spreading of malicious rumours and even the offer of a paid posting to New York from those trying to silence her.

Labor frontbencher Linda Burney said today there was clearly a culture of bullying and culture of anti-women in the Liberal National party and it was obvious that the investigation Prime Minister Scott Morrison had promised into the behaviour had not produced what Ms Banks expected.

“It’s really interesting that there are a number of women speaking out, and her in particular,” Ms Burney said.

Ms Banks’s interview follows a scathing statement Ms Banks made in the House of Representatives to announce her resignation.

Ms Banks barely disguised the disgust she felt at the behaviour of both major parties as she revealed her decision to leave the party after the leadership spill.

“The coup was aided by many MPs trading their vote for a leadership change in exchange for their individual promotion, preselection endorsements or silence,” she said.

“Their actions were undeniably for themselves. For their position in the Party. Their power. Their personal ambition. Not for the Australian people who we represent. Not for what people voted for in the 2016 election.”

Ms Banks said the aftermath of the leadership spill laid bare the major parties’ “obstructionist and combative actions”.

“All for political point scoring rather than for timely, practical, sensible decisions on matters which Australians care about.”

The Victorian MP also took aim at the Liberals’ “women problem”, saying the level of regard and respect for women in politics across both major parties was years behind the business world.