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Telling Abbott of Malcolm Turnbull's leadership challenge "toughest thing": Australian deputy Liberal leader

Xinhua, September 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs and deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop has shed light on Tony Abbott's dismissal as Prime Minister, saying how informing him of Malcolm Turnbull's leadership challenge was the "toughest thing" she has had to do since becoming a politician.

Telling morning TV, the deputy leader said "there were tears shed" as she delivered news to Abbott that he had lost the faith of his party, and that as Abbott's deputy, it was her role to inform the prime minister of Turnbull's desire to force a leadership ballot.

"It's the toughest thing I've ever had to do in political life, " Bishop said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, she told the Nine Network that she was "not enjoying this" and that it was a "very difficult time" for herself, Abbott and the party.

Bishop said the outgoing prime minister was visibly upset when he heard the news of a leadership challenge, but remained calm up until he was voted out by his ministers.

"He was calm, he was obviously very hurt. Emotionally this is a very draining time for people and I feel for Tony and I feel for ( his wife) and his daughters. I knew them well," Bishop said.

"I know what stresses and strains the leadership were under. It was a very difficult time for him, it was very emotional for everyone involved."

However, the foreign minister rebuked claims that she was one of Abbott's ministers to turn on his leadership.

"The party room had spoken," she said.

"I did what a deputy has to do and that is reflect to the leader what I understood to be the views of the party," Bishop told the Nine Network.

"They were in fact the views because the party room voted for Malcolm Turnbull as the leader last night.

"Being the deputy brings certain obligations and responsibilities and one of those is to keep the leader informed of the views of the backbench and that's what I did."

Bishop was retained as deputy leader of the party during Monday night's snap ballot. She defeated Kevin Andrews by 70 votes to 30.

Bishop is tipped to retain her seat as foreign minister under Malcolm Turnbull's reshuffled front bench. Endi