‘I don’t know how many times we’re going to do this.’: Julie Bishop caught off guard with whisper to PM
Julie Bishop inadvertently gave a glimpse of her humanitarian side when she expressed her apparent exasperation at fronting a press conference about the horrific London attacks.
The Foreign Minister was discussing Saturday’s Islamic terror attack at London Bridge live on Seven News yesterday when, believing the cameras had stopped rolling, spoke candidly to the Prime Minister saying: “I don’t know how many times we’re going to do this.”
Ms Bishop had been offering advice to worried Australians in London and their families when she thought the cameras were off and removed her earpiece before whispering the comment to Malcolm Turnbull.
The comment on the killings — which left seven dead and 48 wounded, including two Australians on Saturday night — is not thought to have referred to the number of takes or times the Australian Government has had to weigh in but rather the minister’s frustration at the worrying rise in terror attacks in England and Australia.
It’s a response that would echo with a population assailed on an all-too-regular basis by depressing bulletins about inhumane acts committed against innocent people in the name of religion.
There have been three terror attacks in Britain in as many months.
A suicide bomber killed 22 people at a concert staged by Ariana Grande at Manchester Arena on May 22.
In April, five people including a police officer died and 50 were left injured when a suspected terrorist mowed down members of the public with his car on Westminster Bridge.
And in Saturday’s barbaric attack, seven people died, plus the three knife-wielding assailants, and 48 are still injured.
Four Australians have been injured:
Andrew Morrison, an electrician from Darwin, who was attacked as he left Belushi’s sports bar on London Bridge, where he had been watching the Champions League Final.
Candice Hedge, stabbed as she enjoyed a drink after her shift at Elliot’s restaurant in Borough Market.
Plus two more, whose IDs are unknown, but have been confirmed this morning by Malcolm Turnbull.
The first dead victim was named today as Canadian charity worker Chrissy Archibald.
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