, ▁after ▁Abb ott ▁and ▁Deput y ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Warren ▁Tr uss . ▁In ▁the ▁months ▁following ▁her ▁appointment ▁several ▁media ▁reports ▁claimed ▁that ▁Bishop , ▁along ▁with ▁Social ▁Services ▁Minister ▁Scott ▁Mor r ison , ▁were ▁regarded ▁internally ▁as ▁the ▁best ▁performing ▁minister s ▁in ▁the ▁Government . ▁ ▁In ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Bishop ▁became ▁only ▁the ▁second ▁woman ▁to ▁serve ▁as ▁acting ▁prime ▁minister , ▁after ▁Julia ▁Gill ard . ▁Through out ▁her ▁ten ure ▁as ▁foreign ▁minister , ▁Bishop ▁had ▁been ▁frequently ▁t ipped ▁by ▁political ▁comment ators ▁as ▁a ▁possible ▁future ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁and ▁prime ▁minister . ▁ ▁Foreign ▁aid ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁Bishop ' s ▁first ▁steps ▁after ▁being ▁appointed ▁Minister ▁for ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁was ▁to ▁introduce ▁swe eping ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁foreign ▁aid ▁program . ▁ ▁These ▁changes ▁included ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁Australian ▁foreign ▁aid ▁ag ency , ▁Aus A ID , ▁and ▁extensive ▁exp end iture ▁cut s . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁government ▁was ▁sw orn ▁into ▁office ▁on ▁ 1 8 ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 3 . ▁In coming ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Tony ▁Abb ott ▁announced ▁the ▁same ▁day ▁that ▁Aus A ID ▁would ▁be ▁integrated ▁into ▁the ▁Department ▁of ▁Foreign ▁Affairs ▁( DF AT ). ▁The ▁news ▁of ▁the ▁proposed ▁integration ▁had ▁been ▁convey ed ▁by ▁Bishop ▁to ▁senior ▁Aus A ID ▁staff ▁some ▁days ▁earlier . ▁The ▁official ▁explanation ▁for ▁the ▁integration ▁of ▁Aus A ID ▁into ▁D F AT ▁was ▁that ▁“ Integr