Julie Bishop and Tanya Plibersek clash live on-air during election coverage
Julie Bishop has taken on deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek in a feisty television stoush.
Speaking as part of a Channel Nine election panel, Ms Bishop was asked if the Liberal Party would have had a better chance of winning if she had been elected the party’s leader after a poll showed she was the favoured leader.
“Well we’ll never know because I’m not in this campaign,” she said.
“So while that’s a very interesting figure the leadership of the Liberal party was determined last August. I put my hand forward, but the party chose Scott Morrison.”
She said Mr Morrison could not be faulted for the way he has run his campaign ahead of the election.
Ms Plibersek chimed in, saying Ms Bishop was being modest.
“I think they would have definitely run a better campaign,” she said.
But then things took a lively turn after Ms Bishop went on to say she had helped with the campaign behind the scenes, including robo-calls.
“I know they annoy people, but they are necessary,” Ms Bishop said.
Ms Bishop claimed she also fundraised for her campaign in Curtin.
“But the question of the leadership of the Liberal Party was determined last August,” Julie Bishop said.
Ms Plibersek said: “Determined again and again”.
Ms Bishop then hit back: “Come on, I don’t want to have to go back to the Rudd-Gillard-Rudd years.”
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.
