Bill Shorten
Encyclopedia
William Richard "Bill" Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician, the Member for Maribyrnong
in the Australian Parliament
, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Children's Services in the Rudd/Gillard Government 2007–2010. He is a former Victorian State President of the Australian Labor Party
, a long-time member of the right-wing Labor Unity
faction, and a former Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union
(AWU).
, where he graduated in arts and law. During his time at Monash, Shorten was a founding member of Young Labor Network, a right wing Labor youth caucus. He also holds an MBA
from the Melbourne Business School
, an unusual qualification for a trade union official.
Shorten began working in the labour movement while still a student, working part-time for federal Labor Minister Gareth Evans
and later Neil Pope, a minister in the Labor state government of John Cain
. After graduating he worked for 18 months as a lawyer for the firm of Maurice Blackburn Cashman
, a firm which generates a large portion of its income representing trade unions.
for the 1999 state election, but gave this up to pursue his career with the union. Shorten was responsible for reforming the union's structure and halting the long-term decline in its membership.
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 2006. As a trade union official with a tertiary education, he reflects the changing composition of the AWU's membership, and of the trade union movement.
Shorten was an active member of the Labor Party; he was a member of the party's National Executive
and of the Administrative Committee of the Victorian Branch. He is a former 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. Until early 2006, he was a board member of GetUp.org.au
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. Shorten also served on the advisory board of the Australian Cricketers' Association.
Shorten resigned as AWU National Secretary and his other board positions on 26 November 2007 in order to take his seat in federal parliament.
, where the sitting Labor member, Bob Sercombe, was supported by the Left faction. The AWU is a pillar of the right-wing Labor Unity faction of the party, which has a majority in the Victorian Branch of the party.
The political correspondent of 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.
Justifying his challenge to a sitting member and serving shadow minister, Shorten said: "We haven't won a federal election since 1993. When your footy
team loses four consecutive grand finals, you renew the team." On 28 February Sercombe withdrew his candidacy, a few days before the local vote of ALP members in which Shorten was expected to poll very strongly. As a result Shorten was pre-selected unopposed.
During the Beaconsfield mine collapse
, Shorten, in his role as National Secretary of the AWU, the union representing the miners, played a prominent role as 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.
At the election on 24 November 2007, Bill Shorten was elected to the House of Representatives as the Labor Member for Maribyrnong. It was speculated that with Shorten's high public profile and general popularity within the Labor Party, he might be given a front-bench portfolio; however, when asked about the possibility, Prime Minister
-elect Kevin Rudd
said that he believed parliamentary experience was essential when designating front-bench portfolios. On 29 November Rudd announced that Shorten would become the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services.
On 3 December 2007 Bill Shorten was sworn in as the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services. On 25 June 2010, Shorten was one of the main factional leaders involved in the replacement of Kevin Rudd
as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister for Julia Gillard
. Following the election there was speculation that Shorten might seek to topple Prime Minister Gillard from her position as ALP leader; former Labor party leaders Bob Hawke
and Kim Beazley
had previously endorsed Shorten as a potential Labor leader.
Quentin Bryce
. They have a daughter Clementine, born in December 2009.
Bill Shorten was previously married to Debbie Beale, daughter of Liberal Party
politician Julian Beale
and granddaughter of politician and Ambassador to the United States Sir Howard Beale
.
Division of Maribyrnong
The Division of Maribyrnong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. It covers the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Niddrie, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Tullamarine, Airport West, Sunshine and Brooklyn. Due to...
in the Australian Parliament
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Children's Services in the Rudd/Gillard Government 2007–2010. He is a former Victorian State President of the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, a long-time member of the right-wing Labor Unity
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
faction, and a former Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union
Australian Workers' Union
The Australian Workers' Union is one of Australia's largest and oldest trade unions. It traces its origins to unions founded in the pastoral and mining industries in the 1880s, and currently has approximately 135,000 members...
(AWU).
Early career
Bill Shorten was born in Melbourne, where his father was a waterside worker and union official. His mother was a lawyer and university academic. He was educated at Xavier College (a Roman Catholic school) and Monash UniversityMonash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
, where he graduated in arts and law. During his time at Monash, Shorten was a founding member of Young Labor Network, a right wing Labor youth caucus. He also holds an MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the Melbourne Business School
Melbourne Business School
Melbourne Business School is a business school located in Melbourne, Australia that has been ranked in the Financial Times since 2005 and The Economist Top 20 in the World. MBS was placed as the second best business school in the Asia-Pacific in the 2010 QS Global 200 Business Schools Report....
, an unusual qualification for a trade union official.
Shorten began working in the labour movement while still a student, working part-time for federal Labor Minister Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
and later Neil Pope, a minister in the Labor state government of John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
. After graduating he worked for 18 months as a lawyer for the firm of Maurice Blackburn Cashman
Maurice Blackburn Cashman
Maurice Blackburn Lawyers was founded in 1919 by distinguished lawyer Maurice Blackburn, who was also a Labor member of the Victorian and Federal parliaments...
, a firm which generates a large portion of its income representing trade unions.
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. Before taking this post, Shorten had decided to enter Victorian state politics, and was elected unopposed as the Labor candidate for the state seat of MeltonElectoral district of Melton
The Electoral district of Melton is an electoral district of the Victorian Legislative Assembly.It contains the towns of Bacchus Marsh, Balliang, Balliang East, Blackwood, Brookfield, Greendale, Kurunjang, Melton, Melton South, Melton West, Mount Cottrell, Sydenham West, and Toolern Vale as well as...
for the 1999 state election, but gave this up to pursue his career with the union. Shorten was responsible for reforming the union's structure and halting the long-term decline in its membership.
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 2006. As a trade union official with a tertiary education, he reflects the changing composition of the AWU's membership, and of the trade union movement.
Shorten was an active member of the Labor Party; he was a member of the party's National Executive
Australian Labor Party National Executive
The National Executive is the highest elected body of the Australian Labor Party, one of the major political parties in Australia. The Executive is elected by the party's National Conference, held every three years, and represents the party's state and territory branches. Many of its members are...
and of the Administrative Committee of the Victorian Branch. He is a former 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
Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions.-History:The ACTU was formed in 1927 as the "Australian Council of Trade Unions"...
Executive. Until early 2006, he was a board member of GetUp.org.au
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. Shorten also served on the advisory board of the Australian Cricketers' Association.
Shorten resigned as AWU National Secretary and his other board positions on 26 November 2007 in order to take his seat in federal parliament.
Politics
During 2005 there was increasing speculation that Shorten intended entering federal politics at the next election. In February 2006 he announced that he would seek endorsement for the safe Labor seat of MaribyrnongDivision of Maribyrnong
The Division of Maribyrnong is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Victoria. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne. It covers the suburbs of Moonee Ponds, Essendon, Niddrie, Keilor East, Avondale Heights, Tullamarine, Airport West, Sunshine and Brooklyn. Due to...
, where the sitting Labor member, Bob Sercombe, was supported by the Left faction. The AWU is a pillar of the right-wing Labor Unity faction of the party, which has a majority in the Victorian Branch of the party.
The political correspondent of The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
, 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.
Justifying his challenge to a sitting member and serving shadow minister, Shorten said: "We haven't won a federal election since 1993. When your footy
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team loses four consecutive grand finals, you renew the team." On 28 February Sercombe withdrew his candidacy, a few days before the local vote of ALP members in which Shorten was expected to poll very strongly. As a result Shorten was pre-selected unopposed.
During the Beaconsfield mine collapse
Beaconsfield mine collapse
The Beaconsfield Mine collapse occurred on 25 April 2006 in Beaconsfield, Tasmania, Australia. Of the 17 people who were in the mine at the time, 14 escaped immediately following the collapse, one was killed and the remaining two were found alive using a remote-controlled device...
, Shorten, in his role as National Secretary of the AWU, the union representing the miners, played a prominent role as 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.
At the election on 24 November 2007, Bill Shorten was elected to the House of Representatives as the Labor Member for Maribyrnong. It was speculated that with Shorten's high public profile and general popularity within the Labor Party, he might be given a front-bench portfolio; however, when asked about the possibility, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
-elect Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
said that he believed parliamentary experience was essential when designating front-bench portfolios. On 29 November Rudd announced that Shorten would become the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services.
On 3 December 2007 Bill Shorten was sworn in as the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services. On 25 June 2010, Shorten was one of the main factional leaders involved in the replacement of Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
as leader of the Labor Party and Prime Minister for Julia Gillard
Julia Gillard
Julia Eileen Gillard is the 27th and current Prime Minister of Australia, in office since June 2010.Gillard was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales and migrated with her family to Adelaide, Australia in 1966, attending Mitcham Demonstration School and Unley High School. In 1982 Gillard moved...
. Following the election there was speculation that Shorten might seek to topple Prime Minister Gillard from her position as ALP leader; former Labor party leaders Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
and Kim Beazley
Kim Beazley
In the October 1998 election, Labor polled a majority of the two-party vote and received the largest swing to a first-term opposition since 1934. However, due to the uneven nature of the swing, Labor came up eight seats short of making Beazley Prime Minister....
had previously endorsed Shorten as a potential Labor leader.
Personal
Bill Shorten is married to Chloe Bryce, the daughter of the Governor-General of AustraliaGovernor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
. They have a daughter Clementine, born in December 2009.
Bill Shorten was previously married to Debbie Beale, daughter of Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
politician Julian Beale
Julian Beale
Julian Howard Beale is a former Australian federal politician.The son of former Cabinet Minister and ambassador Sir Howard Beale, Julian Beale was a member of the Australian Parliament, representing the seat of Deakin in Victoria from 1984 to 1990 and Bruce from 1990 to 1996...
and granddaughter of politician and Ambassador to the United States Sir Howard Beale
Howard Beale (Australian politician)
Sir Oliver "Howard" Beale KBE was an Australian politician and Ambassador to the United States. He was the father of Liberal Party of Australia politician Julian Beale...
.