Julie Bishop Doesn’t Rule Out Another Shot At The Leadership
Australia’s former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has opened the door to staying in Parliament and vying for the Liberal party leadership should the Coalition lose the next election.
In another twist to last week’s bungled leadership coup which has debilitated the government, a defiant Ms Bishop said she would remain as the member for her Perth seat of Curtin, “as I have the overwhelming support of my constituents”.
The popular Liberal, 62, who was elected in 1998, had been expected to announce at the press conference that she would be stepping down at the next election.
But when asked whether she saw herself staying and returning to a senior position, even the leadership, she pointedly did not rule it out.
“It’s far too early for me to even contemplate what I might do. But I will certainly have plenty of time to consider my options and reflect on what has been an extraordinary time,” she said.
At a minimum, Ms Bishop’s decision stops AttorneyGeneral Christian Porter from moving to Curtin from his marginal seat of Pearce.
Ms Bishop, Peter Dutton and Scott Morrison all contested Friday’s leadership ballot. Of the trio, Ms Bishop is vastly more popular among voters. But she was knocked out in the first round, due to her own moderate supporters realising that had she knocked out Mr Morrison in the first round, as she had the numbers to do, she would have lost to Mr Dutton in the final round.
Asked if she could see a point where the Liberal Party would bring itself to elect a popular female leader, Ms Bishop responded sardonically: “Well, when we find one, I’m sure we will.”
The conservatives who backed Mr Dutton disliked Ms Bishop as much as Malcolm Turnbull. Mr Turnbull announced on Monday night he would quit Parliament on Friday, paving the way for an October 6 by-election in his seat of Wentworth.
He called last week “a pointless week of madness that disgraced our Parliament and appalled our nation”.