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| Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 14 February 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Stephen Parker | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 October 2013 – 30 May 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Tanya Plibersek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Chris Bowen (Interim) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20thLeader of the Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 13 October 2013 – 30 May 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Tanya Plibersek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Kevin Rudd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Anthony Albanese | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of theAustralian Parliament forMaribyrnong | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 24 November 2007 – 20 January 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Bob Sercombe | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jo Briskey | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1967-05-12)12 May 1967 (age 58) Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouses | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives |
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| Education | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation | Politician | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Profession | Trade unionist | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Signature |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Military service | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Allegiance |  Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Branch/service | Australian Army Reserve | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years of service | 1985–1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian former politician and trade unionist. He was theleader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) andLeader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2019. He also served as acabinet minister in theGillard (2011–2013),Rudd (2013) andAlbanese governments (2022–2025).
Born inMelbourne, Shorten studied law atMonash University. He worked in politics and in law before becoming an organiser with theAustralian Workers' Union (AWU) in 1994. He was elected state secretary of the Victorian Branch of the AWU in 1998 before becoming AWU national secretary in 2001. In this role, Shorten played a prominent role as a negotiator following theBeaconsfield Mine collapse in 2006, which first brought him to national prominence.
Shorten was elected to theHouse of Representatives at the2007 federal election, winning the seat ofMaribyrnong, before being immediately appointed aParliamentary Secretary. Following the2010 election, he was promoted to thecabinet, serving first asAssistant Treasurer, then asMinister for Financial Services and Superannuation andMinister for Workplace Relations inJulia Gillard's government. AfterKevin Rudd replaced Gillard as prime minister in June 2013, Shorten was brieflyMinister for Education until the Labor Party's defeat at the2013 election. During his time as a minister, Shorten was instrumental in the creation of theNational Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
After Rudd retired from politics, Shorten won aleadership election in October 2013 againstAnthony Albanese, and became leader of the Labor Party. He led Labor to a narrow loss at the2016 election and then led Labor to anunexpected defeat at the2019 election, after which he announced his resignation as leader, with Albanese beingelected unopposed to replace him.[1][2] Following Labor's victory at the2022 election, Shorten was appointed as theMinister for Government Services and for theNDIS. Shorten is a senior figure within theLabor Right.[3] He is considered amoderate member of the Labor Party.[4][5]
Shorten retired from politics in January 2025 in order to take up an appointment asvice-chancellor of theUniversity of Canberra from February 2025.[6]
Shorten was born on 12 May 1967 atSt Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, the son of Ann Rosemary (née McGrath) and William Robert Shorten.[7][8] He has a twin brother, Robert. According to a statement given during the2017–18 dual citizenship scandal, Shorten heldBritish citizenship by descent until 2006, when he renounced it in order to run for parliament.[9][10]
Shorten's mother was a university academic and lawyer who completed a doctorate atMonash University and ended her career there as a senior lecturer in education. She completed a law degree later in life and practised as abarrister for six years.[11] She was originally fromBallarat, descended from "a long line of Irish Australians" who arrived during theVictorian gold rush.[12] Shorten's father was a marine engineer born inTyneside, England. After settling in Australia he worked as a manager at the Duke and Orr Dry Docks on Melbourne'sYarra River, where he was frequently in contact with union leaders.[13] Shorten's parents divorced in 1988 and his father remarried a few years later. He subsequently became estranged from his father, who died in 2000.[14]
Shorten grew up in Melbourne's south-east, living inHughesdale.[note 1] He attended St Mary's Catholic Primary School inMalvern East.[18] He and his brother were offered scholarships toDe La Salle College, but their mother instead chose to send them toXavier College, Kew. They began attendingKostka Hall, the college's junior campus, in 1977. Shorten was chosen for the state debating team in 1984, his final year at the school.[19] He excelled atfencing and was the state under-15 champion in thesabre division.[20]
In 1985, Shorten began studying atMonash University[21] and also joined theAustralian Army Reserve as a private, a position he held until 1987.[22] During his first years at university, he briefly worked in a butcher shop.[23] Also active in student politics, both in the university's ALP Club and inYoung Labor, he helped establish Network, a Labor Right-aligned faction of Young Labor; in 1986 it "took control of Young Labor from the Left for the first time".[24] He volunteered in SenatorGareth Evans' office around this time as well.[23] After the1988 Victorian state election, Shorten was employed as a youth affairs adviser toNeil Pope, a Victorian government minister.[citation needed] He took a gap year in 1990, travelling overseas for the first time and backpacking through Central Europe.[citation needed] He was subsequently involved in Network's abortive attempt to take over the state branch of theAustralian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association.[25][26]
After graduating, Shorten worked for twenty months as a lawyer forMaurice Blackburn Cashman.[27] In 1994, he began his union career as a trainee organiser under theACTU's Organising Works program at theAustralian Workers' Union (AWU), before being elected Victorian state secretary in 1998.[28] 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. He was an active member of the Labor Party and was a member of the party'snational 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 theAustralian Council of Trade Unions executive.[29] Until early 2006, he was a board member ofGetUp.org.au.[30]
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.[31] Shorten also served on the advisory board of theAustralian Cricketers' Association.[32]
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Prior to the1996 federal election, aged 28, Shorten contested Laborpreselection for theDivision of Maribyrnong.[33] He was defeated byBob Sercombe, who went on to retain the seat for Labor at the election.[34] In February 1998, Shorten won preselection for the safe Labor seat ofMelton at the1999 state election. He was not a resident of the electorate, located on the rural–urban fringe to Melbourne's north-west. He subsequently resigned as a candidate in order to become state secretary of the AWU.[35]
In 2005, Shorten announced that he would again seek preselection for the Division of Maribyrnong, challenging Sercombe (who was now a member of theBeazley shadow ministry). Justifying his challenge to an incumbent 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."[36]
On 28 February 2006, 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.[37] Later in 2006, during theBeaconsfield Mine collapse, Shorten, as National Secretary of the AWU, played a 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 the2007 election.[38][39]
At the 2007 federal election, Shorten was elected to theHouse of Representatives as the Labor MP 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 MinisterKevin Rudd said that he believed parliamentary experience was essential when designating front-bench portfolios. Instead, Rudd announced that Shorten would become Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services.[40] 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.[41]
Shorten would later become one of the main factional leaders involved in the replacement ofKevin Rudd as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labor Party withJulia Gillard in the2010 leadership challenge.[42]
Following the2010 federal election, there was speculation that Shorten might seek to oust Prime Minister Julia Gillard from her position within the year; former Labor Prime MinisterBob Hawke and former Labor Opposition LeaderKim Beazley had both previously endorsed Shorten as a potential future Labor Leader.[43] Shorten denied this speculation, and was promoted to theCabinet asMinister for Financial Services and Superannuation.[44] In 2011, he was also given the position ofMinister for Workplace Relations.[45][46]
Following a period of persistent leadership tensions, Shorten announced immediately before aJune 2013 leadership ballot took place that he would back Rudd against Gillard, and would resign from the Cabinet should she win.[47] Rudd subsequently won the ballot and became Prime Minister for a second time, appointing Shorten asMinister for Education, with particular responsibility for implementing the Gonski school funding reforms.[48]
Following the defeat of the Labor government at the2013 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, ina contest withAnthony Albanese that would be the first time party members would be eligible to vote.[49][50] 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.[51][52]
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His first speech acknowledged the role of women in his election success. He distanced himself fromTony 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, withTanya Plibersek as Deputy Leader andPenny Wong as Senate Opposition Leader.[53][54]
Shorten had been consistently polling better than Abbott and Labor better than theAbbott Coalition government from theJuly 2014 Australian federal budget until theSeptember 2015 Liberal leadership ballot whenMalcolm Turnbull succeeded Abbott asPrime Minister. Turnbull's honeymoon polling soared above Shorten with theTurnbull Coalition government taking the lead over Labor.Brendan Nelson holds the record for lowestNewspoll "Better Prime Minister" rating of 7% (29 February-2 March 2008). Three leaders including Shorten hold the combined second-lowest rating of 14% –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% and personal disapproval up eight to 30%.[55] Some media outlets opined Turnbull's honeymoon to be over.[56][57][58]
In early 2015, leading up to Australia Day, Shorten called for a new push for Australia to become a republic.[59] FormerARM chairMalcolm Turnbull said upon his appointment as Prime Minister in September of the same year he would not pursue "his dream" of Australia becoming a republic until after the end of the Queen's reign, instead focusing his efforts toward the economy.[60] In July 2017, Shorten revealed that should the Labor Party be elected to government at the2019 federal election, they would legislate for a compulsory plebiscite on the issue. Should that plebiscite be supported by a majority of Australians, a referendum would be held, asking the public for their support for a specific model of government.[61]
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In 2015, Shorten said that the voting age should be lowered to 16.[62] In February 2016, Shorten calledCory Bernardi a "homophobe".[63] In March 2016, Shorten committed that the party would oppose any effort to extend discrimination law exemptions to allow people who object to same-sex marriage to deny goods and services to same-sex couples.[64]
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=https%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2024) |
In 2016, Shorten led Labor to gain 14 seats at thefederal election whenMalcolm Turnbull and theLiberal-NationalCoalition retainedmajority government by a single seat.[65] The result was the closest since the1961 federal election.
Shorten led Labor into theAustralian federal election in 2019. Labor had led most polls for the better part of two years, and every major opinion poll projected a Labor victory.[66][67][68]
However, a number of factors, including third-party preferences in Queensland, allowed the Coalition–then led byScott Morrison–to a surprise election victory, and regain its parliamentary majority.[69][70] Shorten conceded defeat on election night and subsequently announced he would step down as the leader of the Labor Party.[1] In a post-election review commissioned by the Labor Party in November 2019, the loss was partially attributed to Shorten's personal unpopularity.[71] A separate study by theAustralian National University found Shorten to be the least popular Labor leader since modern polling began, with his popularity representing "a historic low for any major party leader in recent times".[72]
Shorten announced his resignation as Leader of the Labor Party on 18 May 2019, following Labor's defeat in the2019 election.[73][74]Anthony Albanesesucceeded him as leader on 30 May, withRichard Marles as his deputy.[75]
After Albanese assumed the leadership, Shorten was appointed as part of theshadow cabinet, as shadow minister for theNational Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and forGovernment Services.[76]
| This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(September 2024) |
Following Labor's victory at the2022 federal election,[77] Shorten was sworn in as theMinister for the NDIS and Government Services on 1 June.[78][79] In November 2022, Shorten vowed to crack down on NDIS "rorts", with the scheme having become rife with fraud.[80] In August 2024, Shorten introduced legislation designed to cap the growth of the NDIS and bring in sweeping powers to investigate fraud, which Parliament passed with bipartisan support.[81] Shorten led theAlbanese government's response to theRoyal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme, including by moving a motion of apology to the victims of the illegalscheme in August 2023.[82] He also repeatedly lobbied for the names of the people who had been referred to other agencies for criminal or civil penalties to be made public, having been kept anonymous in the commission's final report.[83]
On 5 September 2024, Shorten announced his retirement from politics prior to the2025 federal election.[6] On that date, Shorten also announced his appointment as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Canberra, commencing in February 2025.[84] Shorten resigned from Parliament on 20 January 2025.[85]
Shorten was conferred as the University of Canberra's vice chancellor on 14 February 2025.[86]
In March 2000, Shorten married Debbie Beale, daughter of businessman and former Liberal MPJulian Beale.[87] They divorced in 2008.[88] In 2009, Shorten marriedChloe Bryce, daughter of thenGovernor-GeneralQuentin Bryce.[89][90][91] The Shortens live inMoonee Ponds, Victoria with their daughter,[92] as well as Chloe Shorten's other two children from her previous marriage to Brisbane architect Roger Parkin, who shares their parental responsibility.[93]
Shorten was raised Catholic, but converted to Anglicanism before his second marriage – as well as it being his wife's religion, he "had come to disagree with the [Catholic] Church on a number of issues".[94][95]
In 2014, Shorten publicly identified himself as the senior ALP figure at the centre of a 2013 allegation of rape, said to have occurred in 1986. Shorten strongly denied the allegations in a statement, which was made afterVictoria Police were advised from theOffice of Public Prosecutions that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction.[96]
From February next year, he will be vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra.
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 ...
One such friendship was with Labor MP Bill Shorten, former AustralianWorkers Union chief and ... Even when Bill and Debbie divorced in 2008 and Shorten ...
| Trade union offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | National Secretary of theAustralian Workers' Union 2001–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forMaribyrnong 2007–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded byas Minister for Financial Services, Superannuation and Corporate Law | Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation 2010–2013 | Succeeded byas Minister Assisting for Financial Services and Superannuation |
| Preceded by | Assistant Treasurer 2010–2011 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byas Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations | Minister for Workplace Relations 2011–2013 | Vacant Title next held by Kelly O'Dwyeras Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations |
| Minister for Employment 2011–2013 | Succeeded by | |
| Preceded byas Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth | Minister for Education 2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Government Services 2022–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme 2022–2025 | Succeeded by | |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Labor Party 2013–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Vice-Chancellor of theUniversity of Canberra 2025–present | Incumbent |
Prime Minister:Kevin Rudd | ||
 | ||
Prime Minister:Anthony Albanese | ||
| Cabinet | .jpg) | |
| Outer Ministry | ||
| Assistant Ministers | ||
| Resigned | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
