Explosive Julie Bishop interview: I would have beaten Bill Shorten

Julie Bishop has declared she would have beaten Labor leader Bill Shorten in the upcoming May federal election if her colleagues had made her Prime Minister last year — as she points the finger at one person for her Liberal leadership ballot defeat.

Julie Bishop: “I would have beaten Bill Shorten”. Picture: Daniel Wilkins/Perth Sunday Times

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Julie Bishop has declared she would have beaten Bill Shorten in the upcoming May federal election — had her colleagues made her Prime Minister in last year’s brutal leadership fight.

In an explosive interview with Perth’s The Sunday Times, Ms Bishop said not only did she believe she would have beaten Mr Shorten, but Labor also feared she would defeat him.

Shedding more light on last year’s infamous August 24 leadership party room meeting, Ms Bishop accused her colleagues of pulling their support for her at the 11th hour.

Ms Bishop said before entering the meeting she had the support of at least 28 colleagues to become the nation’s new Prime Minister.

Instead she got just 11 votes, which saw her knocked out in the first round of voting.

Eventually, Mr Morrison defeated Mr Dutton 45 votes to 40 in the secret ballot to become PM.

Ms Bishop named Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, who resigned on Saturday, as a major player in a behind-the-scenes plot to stop her colleagues from voting for her.

“I am now told that there was a view, led by Christopher Pyne and others, that even though I would have 28 votes — which was many more than Scott Morrison — it wouldn’t be enough to beat Peter Dutton,” she said.

“If I had known that was what their thinking was, I could have dissuaded them of it. Also I would have pointed out that the question was: Who could beat Bill Shorten?

“And I was confident that I could (beat Shorten). And that was Labor’s thought, too.”

Ms Bishop said she had felt a “responsibility” to run for the leadership, particularly to women.

“Because I had been the party’s deputy leader (for 11 years), I felt a responsibility to put my name forward,” she said. “And I also felt for all the women in Australia who had seen me as deputy for so long.

“I thought I’d be letting them down if I didn’t put my hand up.”

After 20 years as the federal member for Curtin, the hugely popular Ms Bishop last month announced she will retire from politics at the May election.

Her decision is a huge blow for Mr Morrison who also has to deal with the retirements of Mr Pyne, former defence industries minister Steve Ciobo, Jobs Minister Kelly O’Dwyer, Human Services Minister Michael Keenan and Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion.

Ms Bishop resigned as the nation’s foreign affairs minister shortly after Mr Morrison was chosen as Australia’s 30th Prime Minister.

She said had Mr Turnbull still been PM, she would not have resigned. She still remains loyal to Mr Turnbull.

“He compromised on a number of policies because of the pressure of some within the party, and yet they (Liberal MPs) were still not satisfied,” she said.

“Ultimately, they wanted Peter Dutton as PM, but they didn’t get Peter Dutton as PM.”

Ms Bishop’s comments come on the eve of Mr Morrison’s first visit to WA this year — the west being a must win state for the Coalition if they are to hang on to power.

She denied she was angry at her colleagues, saying she respected the party’s decision.

But she was less diplomatic about WA Liberal senator and powerbroker Mathias Cormann, who had played a critical role in Mr Turnbull’s demise by backing Mr Dutton as PM.

“You still wish he would explain his motives in backing Peter Dutton over Malcolm Turnbull and causing enormous instability within the Liberal Party,” Ms Bishop said.

Despite never having become PM, Ms Bishop said we would leave with no regrets.

“I always aimed to be foreign minister and I achieved that,” she said.

“I am absolutely leaving on a high note.”

Looking ahead beyond politics, Ms Bishop says she is “excited about the future”.

“After 20 years in any role, it’s a challenge to leave but I’m excited by the future,” she said.

Originally published as Explosive Julie Bishop interview: I would have beaten Bill Shorten