Bill Shorten

The Honourable Bill Shorten MP
Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 October 2013
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Deputy	Tanya Plibersek
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Leader of the Labor Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 October 2013
Deputy	Tanya Plibersek
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Minister for Education
In office 1 July 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Peter Garrett (School Education, Early Childhood and Youth)
Succeeded by	Christopher Pyne
Minister for Workplace Relations
In office 14 December 2011 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Chris Evans (Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations)
Succeeded by	Eric Abetz (Employment)
Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation
In office 14 September 2010 – 1 July 2013
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Chris Bowen (Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law)
Succeeded by	David Bradbury
Assistant Treasurer of Australia
In office 14 September 2010 – 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Nick Sherry
Succeeded by	Mark Arbib
Member of the Australian Parliament for Maribyrnong
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 December 2007
Preceded by	Bob Sercombe
National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union
In office 2001–2007
Preceded by	Terry Muscat
Succeeded by	Paul Howes
Personal details
Born	William Richard Shorten 12 May 1967 Melbourne, Australia
Political party	Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Debbie Beale (2000–2008) Chloe Bryce (2009–present)
Children	1 daughter 2 stepchildren
Alma mater	Monash University University of Melbourne
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	Official website

William Richard "Bill" Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician who has been Leader of the Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition since October 2013.

He has represented Maribyrnong in the Australian House of Representatives since 2007, and served in a number of ministerial positions in the Rudd and Gillard Governments, including Minister for Education and Minister for Workplace Relations.^[1] Prior to entering Parliament, he was the National Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union from 2001 to 2007.

Early career

Shorten was born in Melbourne, where his father, William Robert Shorten—from Tyneside, England—was a waterside worker and union official. His mother, Ann Shorten (née McGrath) was a lawyer and university academic of Irish descent.^[2][3] He was educated at Xavier College and Monash University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1989 and Bachelor of Laws in 1992. He also gained a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne in 2001.^[4][5]

Shorten became active in the Labor Party while still a student, working part-time for federal Labor Minister Gareth Evans and state Labor Minister Neil Pope. He also worked for Bill Landeryou, Minister and later Leader of the Government in the Victorian Legislative Council during the Kirner Labor Government. After graduating, he worked for 18 months as a lawyer for Maurice Blackburn Cashman.

Union leader

In 1994, Shorten began his union career as a trainee organiser under the ACTU's Organising Works program at the AWU, before being elected Victorian State Secretary in 1998.^[6] Before taking this post, Shorten had decided to enter Victorian state politics, being selected unopposed as the Labor candidate for the state seat of Melton for the 1999 state election. However, he quickly gave this up in order to pursue his career with the union. His time as Secretary was marked by a reform of the union's structures.

Shorten was elected as the AWU's National Secretary in 2001, and was re-elected in 2005. He resigned as Victorian State Secretary of the AWU in August 2007. Shorten was an active member of the Labor Party; he was a member of the party's National Executive until 2011, as well as the Administrative Committee of the Victorian Branch. He was also director of the Superannuation Trust of Australia (now Australian Super), and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation. From December 2005 until May 2008 he was the Victorian State President of the Labor Party. He was also a member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Executive.^[7] Until early 2006, he was a board member of GetUp.org.au.^[8]

During his time as AWU National Secretary, Shorten was the interim chief executive of the Australian Netball Players Association (ANPA), following an alliance between the AWU and ANPA in 2005.^[9] Shorten also served on the advisory board of the Australian Cricketers' Association.^[10]

Political career

The political correspondent of the The Age, Misha Schubert, wrote, "The ascendancy of the articulate, clever and impressively connected challenger, routinely touted as a future Prime Minister, seems all but assured." She pointed out that, as well as his base in the right-wing unions, Shorten would be supported by some unions normally associated with the left, such as the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union.^[11]

In 2005, Shorten announced that he would seek selection as the Labor candidate for the seat of Maribyrnong, which was already held by Labor MP and Shadow Minister Bob Sercombe. Justifying his challenge to a sitting Labor MP, Shorten said, "...we haven't won a federal election since 1993. When your footy team loses four consecutive grand finals, you renew the team."^[11] On 28 February, Sercombe announced that he was withdrawing his candidacy for re-selection, a few days before the vote of local members in which Shorten was expected to poll very strongly. As a result, Shorten was selected unopposed to contest the seat.

During the Beaconsfield mine collapse, Shorten, as National Secretary of the AWU, played a prominent role as a negotiator and commentator on developments in the immediate aftermath and the ensuing rescue operations. The mine rescue operations drew mass national media coverage, and raised Shorten's political profile ahead of the 2007 election.^[12][13]

At the election on 24 November 2007, Shorten was elected to the House of Representatives as the Labor Member for Maribyrnong. It was speculated that with his high public profile and general popularity within the Labor Party, he might immediately be given a front-bench portfolio; however, when asked about the possibility, new Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said that he believed parliamentary experience was essential when designating front-bench portfolios. On 29 November, Rudd announced that Shorten would become Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services.^[14] As Parliamentary Secretary, Shorten pushed hard for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, something which was later to become a key policy of the Labor Government.^[15]

Shorten would later become one of the main factional leaders involved in the replacement of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labor Party with Julia Gillard in the 2010 leadership challenge.^[16] Following the 2010 federal election there was speculation that Shorten might seek to oust Prime Minister Gillard from her position within the year; former Labor Prime Minister Bob Hawke and former Labor Opposition Leader Kim Beazley had both previously endorsed Shorten as a potential future Labor Leader.^[17] Shorten denied this speculation, and was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation.^[18] In 2011, he was also given the position of Minister for Workplace Relations.^[19]

Following a period of persistent leadership tensions, Shorten announced immediately before a June 2013 leadership ballot took place that he would back Rudd against Gillard, and would resign from the Cabinet should she win.^[20] Rudd subsequently won the ballot and became Prime Minister for a second time, appointing Shorten as Minister for Education, with particular responsibility for implementing the Gonski school funding reforms.^[21]

Shorten is considered a moderate member of the Labor Party.^[22][23] As with most Labor leaders before him, in recent times, Shorten supports an Australian republic.^[24]

Leadership of the Labor Party

Shorten speaking at the launch of the ALP's campaign for the 2014 West Australian senate election

Following the defeat of the Labor government at the 2013 federal election, Kevin Rudd announced that he would stand down as Leader of the Labor Party. Shorten subsequently announced his candidacy to be his successor, in a contest with Anthony Albanese that would be the first time party members would be eligible to vote.^[25][26] Shorten subsequently gained 63.9% of the party caucus vote and 40.8% of the rank-and-file members' vote, which when weighted equally gave Shorten a 52.02% victory over Albanese.^[27][28]

His first speech acknowledged the role of women in his election success. He distanced himself from Tony Abbott's social conservatism, saying "I reject the assumption that merit is more located in the brains of men than women" and highlighting the proportion of women in Labor's leadership, with Tanya Plibersek as Deputy Leader and Penny Wong as Senate Opposition Leader.^[29][30]

On 12 February 2015 it was announced that an ALP tribunal had discovered that 20 votes were redirected to the home of Councillor Hicham Zraika. Hicham Zraika was a staffer for Senator Sam Dastyari. Zraika was charged with branch stacking offences under party rules and falsifying the meeting records of his own branch and suspended for six months.^[31]

Shorten had been consistently polling better than Abbott and Labor better than the Abbott Coalition Government from the July 2014 Australian federal budget until the September 2015 Liberal leadership ballot when Malcolm Turnbull succeeded Abbott as Prime Minister of Australia. Turnbull's honeymoon polling soared above Shorten with the Turnbull Coalition Government taking the lead over Labor. Brendan Nelson holds the record for lowest Newspoll "Better Prime Minister" rating of 7 percent (29 February-2 March 2008). Three leaders including Shorten hold the combined second-lowest rating of 14 percent – Simon Crean (28–30 November 2003), Malcolm Turnbull (27-29 November 2009) and Shorten (4-6 December 2015). The December 2015 Newspoll saw a continued 53-47 two-party vote to the government, however Turnbull's personal ratings were significantly lessened, with personal approval down eight to 52 percent and personal disapproval up eight to 30 percent.^[32] Some media outlets opined Turnbull's honeymoon to be over.^[33][34][35]

Personal life

In March 2000, Shorten married Debbie Beale, the daughter of businessman and former Liberal MP Julian Beale.^[36] They divorced in 2008.^[37] In 2009, Shorten married Chloe (née Bryce), who is the daughter of Michael Bryce and Quentin Bryce, who was the Governor-General of Australia at the time.^[38][39][40] Shorten and Chloe live in Moonee Ponds with their three children: their daughter,^[41] and Chloe Shorten's children from a previous marriage.^[42]

In May 2012, the Shortens issued a public appeal requesting the cessation of an unspecified smear campaign about their marriage; Shorten was quoted by The Australian saying "personal lives and families should be off limits".^[43] Shorten has a twin brother, Robert.^[44]

Despite their sharp political differences, Shorten was best man at the wedding of his close friend John Roskam, executive director of the anti-Labor Institute of Public Affairs.^[45]

See also

• Next Australian federal election

References

1. Hewett, Jennifer (18 September 2010). "Players assemble on the front line". News Limited. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
2. "Mum's family were Irish Catholic".
3. Rule, Andrew (26 September 2009). "The charm offensive". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
4. "Engaging in the Asian Century". Monash University. 22 May 2013.
5. van Tiggelen, John (July 2012). "Watch This Face: Bill Shorten". The Monthly.
6. Costa, Michael; Lloyd Ross Forum (1997). Reforming Australia's unions: insights from Southland magazine. Sydney: Federation Press. p. 75. ISBN 1-86287-248-1. Retrieved 21 September 2010.
7. Parliament of Australia. Senators and Members. Bill Shorten. Biography. Retrieved 8 March 2014
8. Getup Annual Report 2005-06, pg 16
9. Netballers join union for a better shot at fair pay, Sydney Morning Herald.
10. The Hon Bill Shorten MP, Q&A profile, ABC. Retrieved 26 September 2009.
11. Schubert, Misha (4 February 2006). "I'm in: Shorten declares on safe seat". Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 4 December 2007.
12. Doherty, Ben (4 May 2006). "Shorten plays more than mere union man". Age. Fairfax.
13. Coorey, Phillip (6 May 2006). "Voice of the miners is just the union ticket". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
14. "Rudd hands out portfolios". ABC. 29 November 2007. Retrieved 1 December 2007.
15. Van Tiggeen, John, The Monthly, July 2012.
16. "I urged Gillard to challenge Rudd: Bill Shorten". Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 29 June 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
17. Goodsir, Darren (23 August 2010). "Bill Shorten to lead Labor Party?". 3AW blog. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
18. Simons, Margaret (12 November 2005). "Fitting the Bill". The Age. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
19. "Gillard unveils expanded Cabinet". ABC News (Australia). 18 December 2011. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
20. Murphy, Katharine (26 June 2013). "Labor leadership spill: Julia Gillard v Kevin Rudd – as it happened". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved 14 July 2013.
21. Ireland, Judith (26 June 2013). "Rudd returns as Labor leader, Gillard quits politics". The Age (Australia). Retrieved 14 July 2013.
22. Kernell, G. (2014). "The 2013 parliamentary election in Australia". Electoral Studies 34: 357–361.
23. Tucker, J. (26 September 2013). "Australia’s 2013 election: A divided left and a step to the right". The Washington Post.
24. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/txt/s4295053.htm
25. Cullen, Simon (13 September 2013). "Anthony Albanese to run for Labor leadership against Bill Shorten". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 15 October 2013.
26. Maher, Sid; Perpitch, Nicolas (13 September 2013). "Bill Shorten stands and vows to maintain the carbon rage". The Australian. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
27. Harrison, Dan. "Bill Shorten elected Labor leader". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2013.
28. Griffiths, Emma (13 October 2013). "Bill Shorten elected Labor leader over Anthony Albanese after month-long campaign". ABC News (Australia). Retrieved 15 October 2013.
29. Taylor, Lenore (14 October 2013). "Tanya Plibersek elected to be Bill Shorten's deputy". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
30. Nicholson, Brendan (14 October 2013). "Star of the Left Tanya Plibersek helped Bill Shorten win". The Australian. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
31. Nicholls, Sean (12 February 2015). "Bill Shorten's leadership ballot under scrutiny after Sam Dastyari's office redirected papers". The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). Retrieved 13 February 2015.
32. Newspoll: 53-47 to Coalition - The Poll Bludger 7 December 2015
33. The honeymoon is over: David Speers/Switzer 3 December 2015
34. Honeymoon over for Malcolm Turnbull: Herald Sun 6 December 2015
35. Is the Turnbull honeymoon over?: Courier Mail 7 December 2015
36. David Marr (21 September 2015). Quarterly Essay 59: Faction Man: Bill Shorten's Path to Power. Black Inc. pp. 24–. ISBN 978-1-86395-753-3. He met Deborah Beale in his MBA class at Melbourne University. ... A few weeks before their wedding in March 2000, she persuaded Shorten to reconcile with ...
37. James Kirby; Rod Myer (19 January 2011). Richard Pratt: One Out of the Box: The Secrets of an Australian Billionaire. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 135–. ISBN 978-0-7303-7612-5. One such friendship was with Labor MP Bill Shorten, former AustralianWorkers Union chief and ... Even when Bill and Debbie divorced in 2008 and Shorten ...
38. Carbone, Suzanne (11 December 2009). "Shorten fits the Bill as referee for his ex-wife". Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
39. "Bill Shorten to wed Chloe Bryce, Governor-General's daughter". Daily Telegraph. News Limited. 14 November 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2010.
40. Milne, Glenn (18 July 2009). "Bill Shorten and Chloe Bryce G-G's girl expecting a child". Daily Telegraph. News Limited. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
41. "Baby Clementine wows Labor MP Bill Shorten and wife Chloe Bryce". Herald Sun. News Limited. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
42. "Bill Shorten in love with Quentin Bryce's daughter". Courier Mail. News Limited. 21 September 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
43. "Bill and Chloe Shorten call for end to personal attacks in politics". The Australian. News Limited. 13 May 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
44. Wright, Jessica (15 April 2014). "Bill Shorten farewells mother at private funeral in Melbourne". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
45. Shorten is best man at Roskam's wedding, smh.com.au; accessed 22 May 2015.

External links

• Bill Shorten – Labor for Maribyrnong
• AWU: Bill Shorten
• Parliament of Australia – House of Representatives – The Hon Bill Shorten MP
• Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services

• Search or browse Hansard for Bill Shorten at OpenAustralia.org