Bishop named 'most intriguing'
Julie Bishop tops off a huge year with another accolade, being named Who magazine's most intriguing person of 2014.
The Perth-based Foreign Minister beat other Australian headline makers such as The Bachelor Blake Garvey, musician Sia, Lara Bingle and Ian Thorpe for the top spot.
In the shoot for the magazine, Ms Bishop shows off her glamorous side while saying she is now "living her dream".
"I secretly harboured an ambition to be foreign minister when I entered politics but, of course, you never talk about your ambitions," she told Who, out in Perth on Monday.
"I can't imagine a better job than the one I have. I see myself as Australia's relationship manager."
Being the only woman in Cabinet, Ms Bishop said she thought there needed to be more gender equality in politics to gain a "different perspective".
"I wish there were more women in Cabinet. I think women make a great contribution to discussions; they offer a different perspective," she explained.
When asked whether she believed sexism existed in Canberra, Ms Bishop said: "Discrimination exists across all areas in society.
"It's how you deal with it. But how could I say I've experienced it when I've been elected by my peers to be the deputy leader of the party and I am Australia's first female foreign minister?"
Ms Bishop will spend Christmas with family in South Australia, where she grew up and became a partner at one of Adelaide's most prestigious law firms before she was 30.
"(My family) all live in the same street," she said.
"We allocate tasks and mine is normally to buy the chocolates. I have to get into the line at Haigh's (Chocolates) on Christmas Eve. That's not easy; it's a zoo."
Who magazine. Picture: Who
