COVID border closures: Julie Bishop separated from partner David Panton
Even former foreign minister Julie Bishop can’t escape border restrictions. And like so many loves separated during coronavirus, Perth-based Bishop is longing to be reunited with her partner, David Panton. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST
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Even former Foreign Minister Julie Bishop can’t escape border restrictions.
And like so many loves separated during coronavirus, Perth-based Bishop is longing to be reunited with her partner, David Panton, who lives in Sydney.
“The first place I will go is to Sydney to see David,” she said.
“We FaceTime. It isn’t great but it is all you can do because he can’t get in here (WA) and I can’t go there without having to get an exemption. It is very difficult but I know a lot of families have been separated in this way, it is challenging.”
Bishop has spent much of her life travelling more than most, particularly as Foreign Minister.
She quit office at the end of 2018 and says she does not miss politics.
“I don’t,” she said. “I had 20 years as a member of parliament and five as foreign Minister and that was a huge honour to represent Australia on the world stage. After 20 years it is time to move on and I have. I am loving my life in the privacy sector as Chancellor of the Australian National University.”
Bishop spoke to Confidential to launch jeweller Georg Jensen’s annual curve heart pendant release to raise funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation.
It was a no-brainer for the former politician to get involved given two of her sisters were treated for ovarian cysts when they were younger as well as the fact the cancer kills so many women. Estimates say 14,000 Australian women will lose their lives to ovarian cancer over the next decade.
“Women’s health is an issue that transcends politics,” she said. “Ovarian cancer does not respect status, wealth or age or family circumstances and can strike any woman at any time and so I think there needs to be a greater effort to find better treatments along the road to a cure and that is most certainly why I think we need an early detection test.”
Bishop is referenced in the campaign as The Hon. Julie Bishop, a title she intends to continue using.
“I am the honourable for life,” she said tongue-in-cheek thanks to her years of public service. “If you are a member of executive government as I was and you are bestowed with the title honourable, you get that title for life. I worked hard enough for that, I’ll keep it.”