Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made the widely expected announcement that former treasurer Joe Hockey would be Australia's next ambassador to the United States via a press release on Tuesday morning. The announcement comes after Saturday's byelection in Mr Hockey's former seat of North Sydney, which was won by former Hockey staffer Trent Zimmerman. Mr Hockey will begin his post in early 2016, replacing the widely respected Kim Beazley who has served in the role since 2010. Mr Hockey resigned from Parliament after   September's leadership coup that saw Scott Morrison replace him as Treasurer. He made his final speech to Parliament on   October 21. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Mr Hockey would be "the face of Australia to Washington". "Our relationship with the United States is a very deep one," he said. "It is not just between a Prime Minister and a President or an ambassador and a President. It is a people to people relationship. "It is very, very complex and intimate and at every level strategic, economic, cultural, social, family, but the ... Australian ambassador in Washington is our representative in the United States." He said. "To the most powerful government in the world, the face of Australia will be Joe Hockey."