Aug. 27 (UPI) — Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop announced her resignation on Sunday as new prime Minister Scott Morrison named his cabinet.
“Today I advised the Prime Minister that I will be resigning from my Cabinet position as Minister of foreign affairs,” she wrote in a statement shared to Twitter Sunday. “I will remain on the backbench as a strong voice for Western Australia.”
She added she hasn’t yet decided whether she will run for office in the country’s next general election, set for 2019.
Ousted Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull issued a statement praising Bishop’s work in her cabinet.
“Today we have lost Australia’s finest Foreign Minister,” Turnbull wrote. “I thank Julie for her loyalty and friendship over many years but especially as my Deputy. She has been and remains an inspiring role model for women here and around the world.”
Bishop was eliminated in the first round of voting during a three-way leadership battle alongside Morrison and Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Friday to replace Turnbull.
Morrison went on to defeat Dutton by a vote of 45-40.
On Sunday, Morrison selected a new cabinet, naming former Defense Minister Marise Payne to replace Bishop as foreign minister, ABC News reported.
Christopher Pyne was promoted to oversee defense and Steven Ciobo was named minister for the defense industry.
Simon Birmingham assumed Ciobo’s former role as trade minister and Dan Tehan was named as minister of education.
Dutton maintained his role as minister for home affairs, but he created a new position to handle issues related to immigration and appointed David Coleman.
“David has a keen understanding of the many different backgrounds and the many different issues that need to be managed to ensure that Australians who have come from so many backgrounds get that fair go I spoke of,” Morrison said.
Morrison also split the role of Energy and Environment minister, naming Melissa Price as environment minister and selecting Angus Taylor to head energy.
Kelly O’Dwyer was named minister for jobs, industrial relations and Mathias Cormann was named minister of finance.
Morrison had previously announced his Deputy Josh Frydenberg would assume his former role as treasurer.
Morrison said his cabinet was prepared to “tackle the big challenges that are before us with some new ideas and a fresh emphasis while restoring some of the emphasis of the times past,” Bloomberg reported.
“Government stability is being restored, we are getting on with the job,” he said.
