Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has said unequivocally that the Liberal Party is ready for a female leader.
The question of whether the party would be comfortable with a woman at the helm has been raised frequently in recent days at rumours of an imminent leadership spill gain momentum. Bishop’s recent comments on the issue were not in the context of the party’s leadership turmoil, however, but rather in an interview with comedian Judith Lucy for her new ABC television show Judith Lucy is All Woman.
Lucy put the question to Bishop directly: Would the party be comfortable with a female leader?
Bishop answered without hesitation: “Absolutely. Of course it would be”.
She then pointed to her own success in the party as evidence of this.
“I’m female, I’m single, I don’t have kids. And I’m the deputy leader of the party,” she said.
The interview touched on another subject that has become popular in the wake of the LNP leadership debate: The Gillard era.
Bishop said the country’s support of Gillard showed that Australia can support women in power.
“I thought that Julia Gillard’s appointment saw a great outpouring of support. I think Australia was well and truly ready (for a female Prime Minister),”she said.
So if the Liberal Party really is ready for a female leader, will Bishop be it?
The Foreign Minister has announced she will not directly challenge Abbott to the party leadership, but has not ruled out putting herself forward as a candidate should someone else initiate a leadership ballot.
Bishop is currently the preferred party leader for 26% of Australians. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who is also under pressure to contest the leadership, is preferred by 36% of electors. Both Bishop and Turnbull have higher approval ratings than Tony Abbott, at just 14%.
With Turnbull previously stating he is not interested in the leadership it may be the case that not only is the Liberal Party ready for a female leader, they might be on the cusp of installing one. However, earlier today broadcaster and journalist Julia Baird confirmed that two federal Liberal MPs have confirmed Malcolm Turnbull has started ringing around to canvass his potential. A new leader seems likely, whether it’s a female however is unclear.