"I urged then Prime Minister Abbott to appoint more women to his first cabinet but he did not appoint any," she said in a statement issued by her office.

"As deputy leader I was automatically in cabinet. I made the same plea to Prime Minister Turnbull who appointed five women (in addition to me) to his first cabinet."

Ms Bishop's office didn't respond to the latest comments from Mr Abbott.

Open conflict

The argument is relevant to the government today because it illustrates how personal animosities created by Mr Abbott's removal from power in 2015 have devolved into open conflict.

I have seen this story and I agree that it should be fixed. I accept responsibility. Only ALL former Presidents PMs and Ambassadors from both countries were originally invited. (Incl JG). More currently being invited (MD was first to respond). https://t.co/QrGE5nq2Ry — Joe Hockey (@JoeHockey) July 5, 2018

Mr Abbott continues to be a frequent critic of the Turnbull government from the right, especially over energy policy. His comments also suggest that he believes that Ms Bishop was a disloyal deputy. Ms Bishop has said that she tried to convince Mr Abbott to make policy or leadership changes that may have saved his job.

The debate also highlights the Liberal Party's struggle to promote women. A West Australian Liberal senator, Linda Reynolds, recently calculated that female Liberal and Nationals MPs are waiting longer to be promoted relative to men under Mr Turnbull than they did under his more conservative predecessor, Mr Abbott.


She said the Coalition's female representation was comparable to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Part of the problem

Mr Abbott's former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, recently implied that Ms Bishop was part of the problem.

"Julie Bishop was much better at complaining about it behind my back than raising it to my face," Tony Abbott says.

"In the six years I worked as chief of staff to our party's federal leader, I have never known a woman to advocate for another woman; never, not once," she wrote in an essay in comments a source confirmed were directed at Ms Bishop.

"Yet twice, I had two male ministers push the case for the promotion of a female colleague. As women, sometimes we are our worst enemy."

The Department of Foreign Affairs, which has a female secretary, was criticised this week for only selecting 15 male representatives for a "mateship program" celebrating the Australia-US military alliance. The men included former prime minister Kevin Rudd, Milwaukee Bucks basketballer Matthew Dellavedova and former US ambassador Tom Scheiffer.

"This is an ALL MALE, monocultural list," commentator Meggie Palmer wrote on the the Women's Agenda website. "And that's un-Australian."

Mr Abbott's former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, recently implied that Ms Bishop was part of the problem. Alex Ellinghausen

Australia's ambassador to the US, former treasurer Joe Hockey, apologised in response to Ms Palmer's article, although he said former prime minister Julia Gillard was asked to participate.

"I accept responsibility," he tweeted. "Only ALL former Presidents PMs and Ambassadors from both countries were originally invited. (Incl JG). More currently being invited."