Prime Minister Scott Morrison made it clear ahead of polling day that he was inclined to take up New Zealand's long-standing offer to accept 150 refugees from Nauru and Manus Island on the condition the Parliament passes a stalled bill that would ban any of them from ever coming to Australia. Loading Four days after the byelection, Labor overturned its opposition to the plan and presented a compromise offer, which was swiftly rejected. "They were offering false hope," Dr Phelps said of the Coalition. "I think most people in Wentworth and Australia got the impression the government was going to accept the New Zealand offer and now it appears that this is not happening," she said.

"I would again encourage the government to listen to the serious concerns of the medical profession. The government really must take heed of the people of Australia that they are supposed to be representing." Dr Phelps conceded more than a dozen seriously ill children had been evacuated to Australia over recent weeks for treatment, but noted "another 52 children are still there and this is not something that can wait". Kerryn Phelps at Parliament House in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The attack echoes the private concerns of a growing number of Liberal MPs who want New Zealand's offer to be accepted. Backbencher Julia Banks on Thursday accused both major parties of playing political games while sick children and their families languished on Nauru. "We could have made progress this week with the New Zealand solution but the parties are too concerned to not back down on their position and make concessions," she said.

Asked last week whether he would take up the New Zealand offer should Labor agree to shut the so-called "back door" to Australia, Mr Morrison was non-committal but noted there was still another sitting fortnight before Parliament rose for the year. He warned any rash move risked restarting a new wave of asylum-seeker boats to Australia, which would cost lives and potentially reverse the declining number of refugees left on Nauru and Manus Island. Loading Dr Phelps – a leading same-sex marriage campaigner – also targeted Mr Morrison for failing to pass legislation to end the right of religious schools to turn away gay students. Mr Morrison committed to changing the law following a backlash to leaked recommendations in Philip Ruddock's secret religious freedom review. The Prime Minister promised swift action during the last sitting fortnight, but negotiations between the government and Labor broke down.

"The government had the opportunity to introduce the legislation to keep gay kids safe in schools without the fear of being expelled and that didn't appear," Dr Phelps said. "It just goes to show how much was being promised during the byelection with no intent of following through." Kerryn Phelps. Credit:AAP Attorney-General Christian Porter has vowed to continue negotiations so the issue can be addressed when Parliament returns in late November. The latest Australian Electoral Commission count shows Dr Phelps has a 1783-vote lead on a two-party preferred basis. Roughly 20,000 constituents who voted Liberal at the 2016 election abandoned the party at the byelection.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Liberal candidate for Wentworth Dave Sharma. Credit:AAP The Liberal Party's candidate for Wentworth, Dave Sharma, is expected to concede defeat this week. Loading Mr Sharma performed well in the postal votes filed towards the start of the campaign, with about 65 per cent in his favour. However, postal votes counted by the AEC over recent days have been dramatically weaker for the Liberal Party, which suggests a messy series of events in Parliament during the final week of the campaign contributed to the Liberal Party's defeat. Dr Phelps said the government's position on climate change was a major factor behind the loss, and warned it would be unwise to suggest the issue only threatened the Coalition in progressive seats.