Liberal insiders predict Julie Bishop will leave parliament

Liberal Party insiders say Julie Bishop will retire from parliament just before the next election.

Some Liberal insiders have told The Australian Ms Bishop has made it known privately she will not stick around for the next term of government. Picture: Kym Smith

Liberal insiders say Julie Bishop will retire from parliament just before the next election, despite speculation she might consider a career as opposition leader should the government lose the election, and despite the fact she has been re-endorsed for her seat of Curtin.

One theory in Liberal ranks is the former foreign minister is waiting until the last minute to announce what she is doing to prevent a move by future leadership aspirant Attorney-­General Christian Porter, whose seat of Pearce is on a 3.6 per cent margin, into the much safer Curtin.

Mr Porter recently bought a unit in Wembley, within Curtin, as an investment property but denies he would be interested in Curtin and insists he will run for Pearce. Some Liberal insiders say Ms ­Bishop has made it known privately she will not stick around for the next term of government.

She was dis­appointed her West Australian and factional colleagues did not support her in the leadership contest after Malcolm Turnbull was rolled.

A friend of Ms Bishop said yesterday: “Certainly there’s not a whole lot of love from her for Christian Porter, who I’m sure would look forward to taking her seat.

“She hasn’t made up her mind. People have (made) various ­offers but … all options are open.”

In a statement, Ms Bishop said: “I was preselected as the Liberal candidate for Curtin in May of this year, and it is my intention to contest the next federal election.”

In recent days, she has called for a bipartisan approach on energy policy, with some Liberals questioning whether she is angling for an overseas posting with a ­future Labor government.

Mr Porter said: “On the question of whether I would consider running in any other seat but Pearce at the next election, I can answer the same way I have answered the question for the past two years: the answer is no.