Julie Bishop: Australia’s loyal deputy in making leaders

Julie Bishop is said to have played a crucial role in the change of leadership that transferred the reins of prime ministership from Tony Abbott to Malcolm Turnbull. In fact, it was Bishop’s switching of support that made Turnbull’s challenge even more feasible.

She has, by all means, extended her support to Turnbull even while there were risks for her in doing so. Her move could have put her dream job as the foreign minister as well as her role as the Liberal party deputy at stake. Bishop has held the post of deputy since 2007 under successive prime ministers. But she had clearly indicated the she would not continue in her role had Abbott won the party room ballot on Monday night.

Liberal Party’s state president Michael Kroger told the Skynews before the ballot, that whatever may be the outcome, the organisation would stand by its leader. But he also drew attention to Bishop’s switch, saying it was a decisive move that would carry influence. "It's an important choice for the party," another Liberal said, as quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Bishop served as the deputy to Turnbull when he was toppled by Abbott in 2009. She even drew her ballot papers to prove her loyalty to Turnbull when she was doubted. The fact that she continued to remain the deputy to Abbott was proof of the strong support she enjoyed within the ranks of the party.

However, her decision to tap Abbott on the shoulder is being praised within the party since it posed a considerable risk to her career as the foreign minister as well as the deputy to the prime minister.

"She met with the prime minister before question time and put it to him that he had lost the majority support of his cabinet colleagues and of the party room and suggested that his options were to resign or hold a party ballot," Liberal Senator Arthur Sinodinos told the ABC in an earlier interview.

But Abbott decided on a ballot, declaring he expected to win by a clear majority. But it did not turn out how he had expected it would.

Besides Trade Minister Andrew Robb and Social Services Minister Scott Morrison, Bishop is also one of the best performing ministers under the present government. Earlier in the year, she was also considered a potential leader as she is highly popular amongst the Liberal backbencher MPs.

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