Julie Bishop did leave a positive impression with her interlocutors. She did present well. But the media seemed to mis understand that there should be much more to being foreign minister. Just compare her ‘achievements’ along side Gareth Evans.
Most of her media appearances were about ‘consular’ problems – Australians involved in airline crashes, terrorism, or other disasters. Normally these matters would be left to officers of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. But Julie Bishop didn’t want to miss these media opportunities. The media loved it. It was easy copy. She knew that consular cases were easier to explain than complicated foreign policy issues.
On her watch as foreign minister there have been major problems for which the media has not held her accountable.
The most serious and potentially dangerous mistake has been in mismanaging our alliance with the US and the rising power of China. It is inevitable that China will re-establish itself as a world power – both strategically and economically. As an ally of the US and with important relationships with China, it is important that we contribute to the rise of China in a constructive and measured way. But unfortunately Julie Bishop has involved us unnecessarily in a belligerent attitude towards China. She was very badly advised by her private staff on China.
She warned that ‘China doesn’t respect weakness and Australia will stand up to China to defend peace, liberal values and the rule of law’. That must have really frightened the Chinese! But for what purpose.! Like the US we abide by the rule of law when it suits us.
Automatically siding with the US on major issues is not necessarily in our best interest. But our foreign minister did not understand what was at stake. Not surprisingly, Geoff Raby, a former Australian Ambassador said that Julie Bishop had to go if there was to be an improvement in relations with China.
With the declining power of the US and the rising power of China , we should be re doubling our efforts to build strong relations with our close neighbours and particularly Indonesia. But it did not happen under Julie Bishop’s foreign ministership. She was fixated on our relationship with the US.
Julie Bishop has been responsible for the largest single cut to our Overseas Development Aid in our history. ODA was cut $1 billion in the 2015-16 budget. It has been cut many times since. Our ODA is now just 0.23% of our GDP. By contrast the Conservative government in the UK has increased it’s foreign aid budget by 25 % in the last four years.
Despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, our former foreign minister decided that Australia would punish some of the world’s poorest people. After all they don’t vote in Australian elections.! She would not talk about this on TV, but preferred to tell us about the latest consular case. From the leafy suburbs of Cottesloe the poor were a long way away.
The possible catastrophic use of nuclear weapons did not interest Julie Bishop Two thirds of the member states of the UN, including Indonesia, Thailand and New Zealand, have called for negotiations of a global treaty banning nuclear weapons. But we sided with the US against this proposal.
Alongside the US and a few countries in the UN we loyally supported Israel time and time again in its occupation of Palestinian land.
Julie Bishop promoted what she called a Colombo Plan in reverse – funding young Australians to study in Asia. But she did not seem to have any understanding of what had gone before. Several times we have embarked on expanded programs of Asian learning. But each initiative fizzled because in the end few Australian employers were prepared to employ young Australians with Asian skills. There is no evidence that attitudes of Australian employers have changed or that Julie Bishop appreciated why schemes had failed in the past.
Julie Bishop led the charge against Julia Gillard over the so-called ‘union slush funds’. Accusations of criminal conduct were made against Julia Gillard, but the Royal Commissioner, Deyson Haydon found that there were no grounds for criminal action. Julia Gillard called for her accusers to show decency and apologise but Julia Bishop who led the charge said nothing . Solidarity with other women had it’s limits.!
She helped defend CSR against a compensation claim by asbestos mining workers who had contracted mesothelioma while working for the company.
Julie Bishop has been a flexible deputy to four successive leaders –Nelson, Turnbull, Abbott and then Turnbull again. The Vicar of Bray comes to mind.
Her colleagues seemed to understand her when in the last Liberal Party ballot for leadership she got 11 votes out of 85 and not one vote from WA members except for her own vote. It says a lot. Her colleagues saw her up close and had serious reservations.
John Menadue is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Pearls and Irritations. He was formerly Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet under Gough Whitlam and Malcolm Fraser, Ambassador to Japan, Secretary of the Department of Immigration and CEO of Qantas.
Comments
9 responses to “JOHN MENADUE. Julie Bishop – Style and substance?”
You really think Bishop got 11 out of 85 votes because her colleagues saw her up close? Especially after youu’ve just mentioned her role in the Royal Commission into unions?
The reason, as was widely publicised in the media at the time was the WhatsApp messages urging votes for Morrison so Dutton wouldn’t win
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/26/julie-bishops-leadership-bid-scuppered-by-colleagues-messages-show
Thanks for the article, style over substance sadly sums up m/s Bishop, along with one or two others, or should that be many.
.! minor irritations but it’s limits.! stretches the friendship!
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Julie Bishop is the very asbestos she defended, destroying ethics in foreign policy. Along with the evidence given above, she was a rampant zionist.
The 11 votes were 11 too many.
Fair assessment. Disturbing that our Overseas Aid is now reduced to a low 0.23% of GDP.
For 20 years the mutual learning of Australian and Vietnamese Healthcare workers under the Hocmai Foundation of the University of Sydney has resulted in many Vietnamese Doctors and Nurses achieving leadership roles. AusAID and DFAT Grants helped greatly. With no DFAT Australia Awards for Vietnam over the last 2 years we now rely on individual donations alone to bring young Doctors Nurses and Dentists, potential future leaders in Vietnamese Healthcare , to Australia.
I find it interesting that there is much criticism for public figures for taking an “unnecessarily belligerent attitude to China,” whilst the previous article of the day is “what to do about Human Rights in China.”
On one handing there is lamentations about the deteriorating standards of human rights in that country amid much hand wringing about the need for possible sanctions.
To me there seems to be a great disconnect. The mentality of a long and heartfelt desire from nationalist Australians to decouple our foreign policy from moving in perfect lockstep with the United States has lead to commentators supporting any position that is the antithesis of this lockstep, wherever it is to be found.
The fact is appeasement and “supporting China so they do us favours later” is probably not a viable long term solution given that the PRC is unlikely to improve its human rights record simply out of gratitude to Australia. “It’s something other than Australia following the US again” oversimplifies a complex situation and is honestly a poor, partisan response.
In all honesty there is little to argue against the belligerent stance against China given their disrespect for human rights and other issue,s and it’s a poor criticism that Julia Bishop doesn’t deserve.
A rare and honest assessment of Julie Bishop’s Political career. Thank you John.
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Since Ms Bishop announced her retirement I tried to think of her achievements. After all, 23 years in parliament is a very long time. Unfortunately, I came up empty.
For me, Ms Bishop is an icon for so much of what is wrong about our society more generally, that is, style over substance.
I’d be very happy to be corrected if someone could provide examples.
Ian,
There could be no one able to provide the examples you require in order to be corrected, as you stated. You can relax on that one.
So many times Bishop, after being appointed Minister for US Foreign Policy made errors in judgement that should have warranted her demotion to a lesser role in government. But, at the time, the fact that she was a woman made that impossible. It would have been seen by the “Me Too” Lobby ( and the small number of women in the LCP) at that time as unforgivable and led to all sorts of disparaging media coverage. As well, she did have the disgraced Downer as her idol, the man known as the East Timor double dealer . He also knew on what side his future bread was buttered as did Bishop with the US.
Wait and see. She is not finished her strutting yet.
What was particularly unforgivable was the fact that often disregarding some of her decent colleagues voicing concerns as to the direction of policy when it came to the military occupation by Israel of Palestinian land, she used her authority to vote with Israel and the obviously corrupt USA along with one or two little Pacific Island states (on the promise of expanded tourism from Israel….yes, that’s how it’s done) to veto any improvement for Palestine.
That has enabled the UN, a totally worthless institution anyway, to keep the status quo in that part of the world as Israel would want it, no, as Israel demanded it and which is now normal practice. The US, totally captive to the parasitic Israelis in America, again reflecting the control by AIPAC of both houses of government.
How can one be an American, reading daily the memorable parts of the US Constitution, but knowing that some Zionist establishment in your country is telling your leaders what to do, how high to jump. How shameful!
Trump stated “Let’s make America great again” . Check first to see if that’s OK with Tel Aviv, Trump.
Bishop could easily have been a US citizen, so anxious were they for a supporting vote on all matters from their “joined at the hip” little 25 million lapdog country. No one showed that subservience like Bishop as she pranced around the world stage.
So you are safe, Ian. Nothing positive about her role in government to counter your comment at all, nor in any of the detail in this informed article by John Menadue.