Liberal renegade Julia Banks has vowed to put climate change and gender equality front and centre as she runs against one of her former colleagues in the upcoming federal election.
Ms Banks, who defected to the crossbench after Malcolm Turnbull was toppled as Liberal leader, will run against Health Minister Greg Hunt in the Victorian seat of Flinders.
She joins Oliver Yates, who is challenging Treasurer Josh Frydenberg in Kooyong, and Zali Steggall, who is challenging Tony Abbott in Warringah, as high profile conservatives running against senior Liberals.
In November, Ms Banks announced she would not recontest her seat of Chisholm and was quitting the Liberals, criticising the behaviour of her colleagues during the August leadership spill.
But Ms Banks says she has unfinished business in federal politics, highlighting several key policy passions.
"Effective climate change action policy is an urgent imperative," she said in a statement on Thursday.
"In relation to refugees, I'll always be an advocate for a humanitarian approach.
"And I'll continue focused advocacy on gender equality, fair and equitable workplace cultures and equal representation of women in leadership positions."
Ms Banks has been the member for Chisholm in Melbourne's southeast since 2016.
But she has moved to the Flinders electorate, which takes in much of the Mornington Peninsula, as she launches her bid to stay in parliament.
Ms Banks has owned a property on the peninsula for the past 20 years.
She said people in Flinders felt taken for granted by Mr Hunt and could not understand his decision to try to help Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton become prime minister.
Mr Hunt downplayed suggestions of retribution over his role in the Liberal leadership spill and insisted he remained totally committed to the Flinders electorate, which he has held since 2001.
He highlighted his long local connections.
"It's my community, it's where I grew up. I would never walk away from the area that I grew up in to try to represent another area," he told reporters in Sydney.
"This is a sacred relationship that you develop with an electorate. By being of the community and by the community and for the community, you can deliver for that community."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison talked up Mr Hunt's commitment to his constituents.
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