p won Liberal preselection for the Division of Curtin, which takes in-Perth's western suburbs. Her preselection bid received the support of Premier Richard Court, who had earmarked her as a future member of federal cabineiP2] The seat had been held for 17 years by Allan Rocher, who was a personal friend of Pr

er the Liberal Party lost the 2001 state election in Western Australia, Bishop was suggested by multiple media sources as a possible replacement for Richard Court as state Liberal leader (and thus Leader of the Opposition)S171- It was later confirmed that Court favoured an arrangement where he and his deputy