• Former foreign minister Julie Bishop will resign from Australian politics at the upcoming election.
• She has served as a political figure for nearly two decades, including as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 2007-2018.
• Her resignation follows speculation over her future within the leadership party.

Former foreign minister Julie Bishop has announced she will resign from Australian politics at the upcoming election.

Her resignation follows speculation over her future within the leadership party after last year’s leadership spill, which saw Scott Morrison replace Malcolm Turnbull.

She made the announcement in the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon, which received a standing ovation from Coalition and Labor MPs.

“I will not recontest the seat of Curtin at the next election and I will work hard in the meantime to assist a new Liberal candidate to win the seat,” she said.

“It is time for a new member to take my place,” adding that she would like to see a woman to take her Western Australian seat.

Bishop has served as a political figure for nearly two decades, including as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party from 2007-2018.

The federal minister was also the first woman to be Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and the first woman to be Australia’s Foreign Minister.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, “Julie Bishop is a giant of the Liberal Party and she has been a ground breaker for women in public life.

“There are many achievements from her time as Foreign Minister in which Julie can be proud: the New Colombo Plan, the establishment of the DFAT innovationXchange and strengthening Australia’s relations throughout the Pacific.”

Bishop’s involvement in the global cooperation following the disappearance of flight MH17 was a hallmark of her career.

“Julie’s judgment, determination and energy helped secure a United Nations Security Council resolution that ensured Australia and its partners could repatriate the victims of that terrible crime,” Morrison said.

“Australia has not forgotten those terrible days and still waits for the perpetrators of that crime to be brought to justice.”

The PM referred to Bishop as “a good friend” whose judgement and insight he valued and appreciated throughout his career.

“Julie was one of Australia’s truly great foreign ministers. In the Liberal Party she will take her place alongside the greatest foreign ministers of our history: Casey, Hasluck and Downer,” he said.

“Julie is enormously popular with party members across Australia and for more than a decade, in addition to her travels as foreign Minister, Julie has hit the highways and byways of our country in support of our Members and candidates.

“On behalf of the Party and the Government, I wish Julie well in the next chapter of her life. I have no doubt it will be a roaring success.”

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