Julie Bishop reveals her one regret after failed PM bid

Former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop has revealed her one regret after failing in her bid to become the new prime minister in a leadership spill that caused chaos in parliament last week.

After she was beaten by new prime minister Scott Morrison in the Liberal leadership spill last week, Ms Bishop announced she would quit and return to the backbench in parliament.

Today in a press conference Ms Bishop said she had to make rapid decisions following the leadership spill without giving them proper consideration.

She admitted she did not get the chance to talk directly to those who would be most impacted by the “life-changing” choices she had to make.

“The chain of events that unfolded last week was at such a rapid pace that I had to make a number of what some might say were life-changing decisions without giving them my usual due regard for the consequences,” she said in a press conference in Canberra on Tuesday.

“While I’m very comfortable with the decisions that I have made, there were a number of people who I didn’t speak to directly, who were those most affected by them.”

Ms Bishop served as the deputy of the Liberal Party under three leaders, and has not ruled out vying for the leadership position again in the future.

“It’s far too early to even contemplate what I might do,” she said.

“But I will certainly have plenty of time to consider my options and reflect on what has been an extraordinary time.”

The 62-year-old bucked widespread speculation she would immediately leave parliament alongside good friend Mr Turnbull.

But she said she had the overwhelming support of her constituents and was “optimistic about my future, whatever it may hold”.

Ms Bishop said she wanted to move on from last week’s leadership spill drama.

“I don’t think that it is going to assist the new government if I pontificate on those issues,” she said.