I have to admit that I surprised myself.

It's Julie Bishop.

To me she has style, and I think is
fabulous. Classy and fabulous.
So competent and professional and
does her job extremely well.
Refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone
is discreet and diplomatic. Everything
you would want both in a Deputy PM
and a Foreign Affairs Minister.

She's great!

Who's yours?

Real or Fictional?

Because if we're allowed to choose fictional characters, it would be hard to choose between Dr. Who & Sherlock Holmes.

If we're limited to real (presumably alive?) people then it's a bit easier: Stephen Fry.

Erudite, well-spoken, hilarious and generally charming. And he does it all with bipolar disorder. Effing legend. If I was gay I'd propose.

Hi Foxy, yes I do like Julie Bishop too. She has to be a tough woman to put up with the patriarchal c##p she must find at Parliament House as the only woman in the top ranks of the Liberal Party.

Although I do think I would like to model myself after someone like Professor Fiona Wood, a burns specialist from Perth, who has improved/saved so many people's lives, I would have to say I really admire the Labor politician Penny Wong.

Penny has weathered many storms in her personal and political life, as she is not only one of the few women in Federal politics, and one of the few Australian Federal politicians of Asian descent, she has also been open about her sexuality, her wish to marry her female partner, and has adopted a baby as a gay couple...all in the very judgmental and critical public eye.

While dealing with all of this, she has forged herself a fine political career and has remained composed and calm, both in Parliament and with the media.
I wish I could be as restrained as she has been in the face of homophobia, racism and misogyny that I have seen thrown at her.
Her calm strength just makes her detractors seem petty and small..

Well I think the fox’s choice is pretty well spot on. JB is quite impressive and does her role very well.
I have another person as role model for all the wrong reasons and that is Tony Abbott. Australia has learnt a lesson in personalities and leadership there. Not all people can perform the job they find themselves applying for.
He is far better at fire fighting, voluntarily of course, or as an aged surfer joe wrapped in budgie smugglers

Foxy, I have issues with choosing ANY politician as a role model. Just by their choice of vocation I believe they compromise their moral compass. They betray friends and colleagues for the supposed greater good of the organization that gives then breath. They vote along party lines even if the electorate and they personally disagree with the direction.Politicians can not fullfill the Shakespear credo of "to thine own self be true".

I believe we all take attributes from those around us that we find fits our view of ourselves and the wider world. In saying that, who knows what lives within the heart of another, and what you see is predominately not what you get to our own degree of expectation.

But if I had to list some that have thoughts and traits I would aspire to, here goes:

George Bernard Shaw
Theresa of Calcutta
Bill Cashman (an elderly neighbour during my formative years)
Martin Luther King
Groucho Marx
Oscar Shindler
Frank Zappa
Charles Perkins
And a cast of tens.........

I also like Stephen Fry and Penny Wong.

Politicians are a difficult choice of course.

I read in an article on the web that leaders should
be effective and that they should be able to persuade
others. In order to do that leaders must have
integrity because if they can't be trusted they wouldn't
be able to lead.

So I suppose we choose our leaders because of what we
perceive to be their values, and how good they appear
to be as a leader - what their beliefs, values, ethics,
and character are.

Leaders should also have character and vision so that
people are attracted to be their followers. Leadership
and respect go together.

A leader should have moral obligations because they have
followers who look up to them for direction and guidance.

But they're not easy to find.
I admire Malcolm Turnbull - but then I don't really know
him that well, and I don't like the alternative.
Hopefully the choice will become clearer closer to the
election.