Bill Shorten
Bill Shorten
William Richard "Bill" Shortenis an Australian politician who is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of Australia, in his capacity as Leader of the Australian Labor Party, after being elected party leader at the 2013 Labor leadership ballot. Shorten led Labor to the 2016 federal election, however despite the 14-seat swing to Labor, the Liberal/National Coalition retained majority government by a single seat − the closest federal majority result since the 1961 election...
NationalityAustralian
ProfessionPolitician
Date of Birth12 May 1967
CityMelbourne, Australia
CountryAustralia
It's going to take a long time. You have to replenish them physically in order that they are able to cope with the next stage of the work.
They are able to point the camera around the various parts of their fairly cramped environment.
I think they understand that what's being done is in their interests.
If I am elected leader, my shadow opposition team will actively incorporate the policy contributions of all our members by instituting policy action committees as recommend by the 2010 National Review.
We're not slaves if we're workers, we're not owned by our employers.
I want to build a Big Labor party. A party of big ideas. A party which is deeply connected to the community. A party which reflects our diverse nation.
Labor is at its best when we are the party of ideas and action - ideas that empower the powerless and actions that build a better Australia for the long term.
Labor should not be about creating monuments on hills or statues in parks. Labors monuments and statues are when a young person can find a job, when a person with disability can get access to the ordinary life that others take for granted.
What I've done as a union leader and what literally thousands of other union representatives do, is make sure that we have co-operation in the workplace. What I get is that where employees are well treated, employers do well.
Once upon a time, I thought denial was a river in Egypt. It's actually the attitude of the Abbott government.
I've spent my whole working life standing up for workers. Didn't matter if it was the two trapped miners at Beaconsfield or professional netballers or indeed factory workers or construction workers.
The whole time I was a union leader, we had to put up with John Howard and Tony Abbott attacking workers' conditions. I'm proud of being a moderate trade union official, working co-operatively between employees and employers. I'm interested in better wages for workers, better safety, job security, and, profitable companies, because I understand that if you get co-operation in the workplace, everyone wins.
My preference is that employees pay their union dues, but what I also get is that I'd rather someone be in the union than not in the union.
What I believe to be every Australian's right - a good, safe job with proper pay and conditions.