Julie Bishop quits as foreign minister, may not run at next election

Julie Bishop has quit as foreign minister Prime Minister Scott Morrison decides on his new ministry after the leadership dramas of last week.

Julie Bishop has resigned from her portfolio of Foreign Affairs Minister. Source: AAP

Julie Bishop has quit as foreign minister and is weighing up whether to resign from Parliament at the next election. 

"Today I advised the Prime Minister that I will be resigning from my Cabinet position as Minister for Foreign Affairs," Ms Bishop said in a statement Sunday afternoon. 

"I will remain on the backbench as a strong voice for Western Australia."

The 62-year-old Liberal heavyweight said she was yet to make a decision about her future beyond the next election. 

Ms Bishop stood for the leadership in Friday's ballot but was knocked out in the first round of voting with only 11 votes. 

Earlier, Education Minister Simon Birmingham said "the most significant woman in the history of the Liberal Party" deserved to make a decision about her future without external pressure.

"We would love to see Julie continue, but that really is up to Julie," he told the ABC on Sunday.

"We will all respect whatever decision she makes."

Julie Bishop stood by Malcolm Turnbull until it was clear his time as PM was up.

AAP

Morrison's frontbench dilemma

The bombshell comes as new Prime Minister Scott Morrison finalises his frontbench. 

The man who caused the leadership upheaval last week, Peter Dutton, has made it clear he would like to return as home affairs minister.

Mr Morrison, who won the leadership ballot against Mr Dutton, after Malcolm Turnbull called a spill on Friday, is weighing up forming a ministry to reunite the Liberal party.

 

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PM admits voters would be 'disgusted' by leadership crisis

 

Senator Birmingham says he loves the education portfolio but is leaving the decision in the new prime minister's hands.

Josh Frydenberg was voted in as deputy leader by his colleagues and given the treasury portfolio on Friday.

Mr Morrison has made no other appointments yet, but has indicated Mr Dutton and former finance minister Mathias Cormann would be welcome back.

Senator Cormann's decision to withdraw support for Mr Turnbull is widely regarded as the turning point which led to the second spill.

Mr Morrison and the senator, who was also the government's leader in the Senate and chief negotiator with the crossbench, were photographed at work on Saturday.