Bill Shorten - Politics

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 Maribyrnong, 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. As the parliamentary secretary, Shorten pushed hard for a National Disability Insurance Scheme, something which was later to become a policy of the Labor Government.

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.

On 12 December 2011 Bill Shorten was promoted to Cabinet with the Workplace Relations Portfolio.