Bishop gears up to strut world stage
Barring a stunning upset, Julie Bishop will become WA's most senior Federal politician and foreign affairs minister in a Tony Abbott-led coalition government.
Her first order of business? Syria - and "rebuilding" relationships with Australia's nearest neighbours.
Campaigning in Claremont yesterday in the heart of her Curtin electorate, the deputy Liberal leader rammed home the message that West Australians should vote for the Liberal Party - not only in the House of Representatives, but also in the Senate.
But Ms Bishop insisted an election win was not yet secured.
"We don't take anything for granted," she said.
But the confidence that is rushing through the coalition camp was revealed when she answered questions about how she would approach the job of representing Australia to the world. "Should that (a coalition win) be the case, I believe the issue of Syria will be one of the first to be considered," she said.
"I have had briefings over the past few days but that will be one of the most important issues on the international agenda.
"Our focus will be on our region, the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific, and I would want to make contact with my counterparts in those countries."
On Thursday, the coalition revealed growth in foreign aid would be reduced $4.5 billion as part of its savings plan. Ms Bishop insisted that would not make her job harder.
"It's unsustainable for Australia to borrow overseas at record levels and then try and send it back (overseas) in the form of aid," she said.
