INTRODUCTION TO THE HON JULIE BISHOP

INTRODUCTION TO THE HON JULIE BISHOP MP

MIKE BAIRD

I would like to acknowledge, first and foremost, Sydney Institute chairman Nick Johnson. Congratulations on your work. And, of course, Gerard and Anne Henderson: congratulations on what you have created. The Sydney Institute is something very special. It is a central part of Sydney, and it challenges us to be the best we possibly can. Thank you for your work.

My job tonight – and I‘ve been reminded by the guest speaker to keep it very short – is to introduce the Foreign Minister. And it’s somewhat ironic. Because, when I started out in politics, I did look around for someone inspirational to launch my campaign, and after discussion with my father who was good friends with Julie Bishop, we decided it should be Julie.

Julie is undoubtedly one of the most respected foreign ministers Australia has had, and indeed is already acknowledged across the world. That’s a remarkable achievement. As I sat down to think about it, I wondered why Julie Bishop has been so successful. For me, it came down to three things.

The first is strength. Anyone who watched her, when MH17 came down, as she immediately got to work, could not be anything but impressed. She almost negotiated the unnegotiable in terms of going to the UN Security Council to achieve a resolution – something that is almost mission impossible. But when she was there, the sense was – and I’m sure you felt it as well – that we were in strong, capable hands. As we saw her across the table, demanding that resolution, there was this surety about her – a sense that no one would dare go against her.

That strength is something we have seen on a regular basis. I saw it first-hand in the Lindt Café siege. We had a hook-up with all of the officials and ministers involved with various responsibilities across the counter-terrorism network. And I have to say, in a very short time, it was very clear that Julie Bishop’s assuredness, her sharpness, her understanding of the detail in getting to the issues that mattered, was incredibly impressive. That strength has put her in a significant position to make a difference as Foreign Minister.

The second attribute in Julie Bishop – which is maybe not spoken about as much, but is something I believe is very real – is her compassion. And we have seen that in the past 24–36 hours in relation to Nepal and the vast devastation that has happened there. Julie Bishop speaks in relation to that atrocity, as the nation feels. She puts it in ways that demonstrate genuine compassion. It’s the same with those two young men on death row in Bali – none of us want to see that happen. We feel powerless, we don’t quite know what to say or how to act. But as we look at Julie Bishop, we want to do exactly what she does and says. You saw her put politics aside when this issue first arose. None of us could be unimpressed as she spoke in the federal parliament with such passion, pleading not as a foreign minister, not as a politician, but as someone pleading for sanity in a situation that is completely insane.

I also believe you see that in her continual push to promote in public debate the importance of foreign aid. It is a topic that we need to discuss. It is something that Julie Bishop is passionate about. An economy that is moving has a responsibility to its most vulnerable. I believe, as Julie Bishop has argued, that Australia has responsibility to those who are vulnerable around us. And I congratulate Julie for her work in that. All of us should be proud of her efforts as she undertakes this work.

Finally, there is something that all of us are familiar with and that quite simply is known as “The Stare”. We’re all aware in certain relationships that we have – and certainly I am with my wife – when things aren’t going according to plan, you just get a little look. A little look that reminds you that you’re perhaps not doing what you should be doing. But I have to say, friends, that look is nothing compared to the Premier League. When Julie Bishop does it, you need to ensure that you’re not a recipient. I’ll move along, Julie, so I don’t receive one.

What we’ve seen from Julie Bishop is an unbelievable capacity for work. She got off the plane at 5 am this morning. For the past two weeks she’s been in six different countries. Julie is someone determined to do the best possible job that she can. When I asked Julie Bishop to launch my campaign, she spoke of needing someone like Mike Baird in politics. Having just been through a tough election campaign, I am sure there are a lot of people who will disagree with you, Julie. But, in simple terms, all of us here would agree that we not only need Julie Bishop in politics, we need her in Australia. Indeed, she is needed across the world.

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce our fantastic foreign minister, Julie Bishop.