Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has turned down the role to become South Australia’s next governor, with her sister claiming the politician did not want to become a “glamorous public servant”.
MaryLou Bishop said the informal offer in September, just weeks after Ms Bishop’s bid to become Liberal leader failed, from South Australian Premier Steven Marshall was immediately turned down because her sister wanted to focus on the private sector.
“Right from the word go, she said ‘I do not want the job’,” MaryLou told ABC radio this week. “I would’ve loved for her to become governor, she would have done an amazing job.”
Although she was the member for the seat of Curtin in Western Australia for the past 20 years, Julie Bishop grew up in the Adelaide Hills. She went to St Peter’s Girls’ School east of Adelaide and studied law at the University of Adelaide before moving west.
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“She would have been, in another word, a public servant. It might be a glamorous public servant, but nevertheless you are answerable to the government of the day,” MaryLou Bishop said. “She’s got another career ahead of her, she wants to prove herself in the free market, in private enterprise.”
She added, “Let her fly, let her do what she has to do, let’s put another governor in place, whatever, and perhaps come back to her in 10years’ time when she’s in her 70s, early 70s. She’s amazingly fit, she doesn’t look her age.”
The current governor of South Australia, Hieu Van Le is due to finish his five-year term in late August.
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