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Who’s in, who’s out? All eyes on Scott Morrison as he mulls his cabinet picks

The deputy Liberal leader described the horror as polls as 'the biggest surprise since the sun coming up tomorrow'.

The deputy Liberal leader described the horror as polls as 'the biggest surprise since the sun coming up tomorrow'. Photo: AAP

Julie Bishop is yet to decide if she wants to stay on as foreign minister under new prime minister Scott Morrison.

But the man who pushed last week’s leadership upheaval, Peter Dutton, has made it clear he would like to return as home affairs minister.

As for Tony Abbott’s future role in cabinet, Mr Morrison’s decision to include or banish him from the front bench will be closely watched by the party’s hard-line conservatives.

Include Abbott, they say, and it will be an olive branch to those who lost faith in the Liberal Party under Malcolm Turnbull’s stewardship. Among Abbott’s supporters, John Howard.

Ms Bishop, who also stood for the leadership but was knocked out in the first round of voting with only 11 votes, has returned to Perth.

“I am going to consider all my options and I am going to focus on running (in the City to Surf),” she told the Sunday Times.

“Once I have considered my options I will make a statement.”

Ms Bishop, 62, also stood down as deputy leader of the Liberal Party.

Josh Frydenberg was voted in by his colleagues and was given the treasury portfolio on Friday.

Mr Morrison has made no other appointments public yet, but has indicated Mr Dutton and former finance minister Mathias Cormann would be welcomed back.

Senator Cormann’s decision to withdraw support for Mr Turnbull is widely regarded as the turning point which led to the second spill.

Mr Morrison and the senator, who was also the government’s leader in the Senate and chief negotiator with the crossbench, were photographed at work on Saturday.

Mr Dutton has pledged “my loyalty completely” to Mr Morrison and the new government.

“I’m determined to do whatever we can to win the next election,” Mr Dutton told The Sunday Mail.

“I believe we are in a stronger position to win the election with Scott Morrison as prime minister.”

Mr Morrison is expected to announce his new front bench sometime in the next few days.

Mr Frydenberg, Mr Morrison and Nationals leader Michael McCormack – whose party is entitled to five cabinet posts – will discuss the line-up ahead of an expected swearing-in early this week.

He’ll head out to regional Queensland later this week for a drought tour.

-with AAP

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