Julie Bishop

Julie Bishop late yesterday confirmed that there had been some throwing of crockery in the shadow cabinet room and the office of her leader Tony Abbott.

It was a comment which also confirmed that the Opposition lost the week to the Government because it could not get its leader out of the spotlight.

``It’s a shame that the Labor Party doesn’t have robust policy debates within its cabinet,’’ Bishop told Parliament.

Continue reading "Clashes mean Coalition loses first week of Parliament" »

It’s easy to attack politicians.

No better evidence perhaps than the bitchy list we compiled yesterday of MPs we think disappointed or just disappeared. But we’re not just a bunch of naysayers here at The Punch. Indeed we appreciate politics and politicians are great deal, otherwise we wouldn’t bother writing about it.

So here’s a list, in no particular order, of MPs who have tried and triumphed in 2010.

Well it’s been one hell of an effort by Tony Abbott:

Continue reading "10 of the best performing MPs of the year" »

Update 7.30pm: Andrew Robb has now said he will not challenge Julie Bishop for the deputy leader’s position tomorrow. More here.

The Australian is reporting that Julie Bishop’s position as deputy leader of the Liberal Party may be under threat. Andrew Robb has confirmed this afternoon he has been approached by colleagues urging him to challenge her at tomorrow’s partyroom meeting.

But is this wise? Putting aside the obvious observations about how Julia Gillard came to lead the Labor party, the political reality now is she has been returned to office. With all the machismo that already surrounds Tony Abbott’s leadership style, installing another tough guy like Robb as his second-in-command as they take the fight to the Prime Minister is not without its risks.

Having survived as deputy leader through the ousting of Brendan Nelson and Malcolm Turnbull, and continuing in the role with Tony Abbott, Bishop has earned a disparaging nickname among some Liberal MPs. She’s known as “the cockroach” because she’d survive anything.

Continue reading "Bishop gambit: Will ‘the cockroach’ survive again?" »

Just as appearances of hatred in politics can be deceptive, periodic appearances of civility can be equally so.

A combination of last night’s annual Press Gallery Ball and the calming effect of two women leading question time today lead to a more conciliatory day in Parliament.

But don’t let it fool you, MPs are nervous and tetchy right now, and pretty sick of the sight of each other and the weather.

Continue reading "Appearances in politics can often be deceiving" »

The old saying is true, you do have to watch the quiet ones. Derided by his former leader Mark Latham as a “rooster”, Foreign Minister Stephen Smith showed this week that he is a particularly lethal fighting rooster as he methodically dismantled his shadow, Julie Bishop, over the forged passport scandal.

The expulsion of the Israeli diplomat and the subsequent argument over whether Canberra had gone too far has been discussed at some length on The Punch and elsewhere.

All I will say about it here is that it was not an issue (and would probably never have become an issue) which was the subject of animated discussion in shopping centre food courts around Australia.

Continue reading "Libs carved up by a lethal fighting rooster" »

It has not been a good morning for the Liberal Party.

It has been revealed Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser quit the party last December in disgust after it was placed under the new management of Tony Abbott.

Current deputy leader and shadow foreign affairs Minister Julie Bishop continues her comedy stylings by first claiming that Australia has also been guilty of faking passports, and then taking it back. Either way she stuffed up big time, and the two events have combined to aid Labor in pelting the Opposition with the tag that the Coalition are a pack of reckless ultra conservatives.

Continue reading "Fraser could take Bishop with him on the way out" »

She’s nothing if not loyal to the incumbent. Julie Bishop has just stood at the podium in the Liberal party room, just at the left shoulder of her third leader in two years. And she hasn’t just done with a straight face, she’s positively nailed it.

First she declared her absolutely loyalty to Brendan Nelson. When he was knocked off by Malcolm Turnbull Ms Bishop was again smoothly articulate in her declarations of support - and today, there she was again as Tony Abbott made his pitch for the next election. Deputies aren’t usually so resilient.

But Ms Bishop says she’s redefined the role of deputy leader of the Liberal Party, saying it’s not her job to angle for he boss’s downfall.

Continue reading "Is Julie Bishop the ultimate Stepford Deputy?" »