Julie Bishop has admitted tapping Tony Abbott on the shoulder to tell him he had lost the support of his Liberal colleagues was the toughest decision of her political career.
The deputy Liberal leader precipitated Mr Abbott's downfall as prime minister on Monday when she went to his Parliament House office before question time.
She had to wait another eight hours before her colleagues toppled Mr Abbott in a late-night party room ballot.
"It was the toughest thing I've had to do in political life," Ms Bishop told Sky News on Tuesday.
But she insisted it was her responsibility to inform Mr Abbott he'd lost the support of his party room.
"Being the deputy brings certain obligations and responsibilities and one of those is to keep the leader informed of the views of the backbench."
Asked if she felt like a traitor, Ms Bishop said moving against Mr Abbott had been a very difficult decision.
She realised some would view the party as no better than Labor during the warring Rudd-Gillard years.
"I am aware of the parallels that will be drawn but I believe I had an obligation to inform him of what they were thinking," she told the Seven Network.
Ms Bishop rejected any comparison between her and Julia Gillard.
"I am the deputy of the party. I stood as deputy. I didn't challenge Tony and I have not challenged for the leadership. So there is no parallel there," she said.
Cabinet colleague Bruce Billson, who supported Mr Abbott in the party room ballot, defended Ms Bishop saying she had carried her heavy responsibility with great dignity and grace.
"It was her responsibility as deputy leader to bring that kind of news to the leader even if it's news that no-one necessarily wants to hear," he told Sky News.
Ms Bishop believes the Liberal Party will quickly regroup.
Remaining as deputy, a position she has held for eight years under three leaders, would help convince people there was stability at the heart of the government.
Ms Bishop spoke with several international leaders and counterparts overnight about the new team.
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