Shorten, Bill (1967-…), an Australian politician, led the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2013 to 2019. Before entering politics, Shorten was a labor union organizer.
Early life, career, and family.
William Richard Shorten was born on May 12, 1967, in Melbourne , Victoria , Australia. He attended Monash University , earning a bachelor of arts degree in 1989 and a bachelor of laws degree in 1992. He also earned an M.B.A. degree from Melbourne Business School in 2001.
After graduating from Monash University, Shorten joined the law firm Maurice Blackburn & Co. From 1998 to 2007, he was the director of Australian Super (formerly Superannuation Trust Australia), a retirement investment company. From 2005 to 2007, Shorten served as director of the Victorian Funds Management Corporation, managing investments for public servants in Victoria.
Shorten married Chloe Bryce, daughter of Governor General Quentin Bryce , on Nov. 14, 2009. The couple have three children. Two of the children are from Mrs. Shorten’s previous marriage.
Union work.
Shorten began working for the Australian Workers’ Union as an organizer in 1994. He served as the union’s secretary for the state of Victoria from 1998 to 2006. He was its national secretary from 2001 to 2007.
Shorten came to national attention in 2006 after an earthquake caused a gold mine to collapse in Beaconsfield, Tasmania . One miner was killed, and two others were trapped underground. Shorten represented the Australian Workers’ Union in negotiations with the mine owners. He also presented daily media updates on the attempts to rescue the trapped miners. The miners were rescued after two weeks.
Political career.
Shorten was first elected to Australia’s Parliament in 2007. He won a seat representing the constituency (voting district) of Maribyrnong, Victoria, in the House of Representatives. Shorten held several ministerial positions under Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard . In the outer ministry, he served as assistant treasurer and minister for financial services and superannuation (retirement). In the Cabinet (also known as the inner ministry), he served as minister for employment and workplace relations and minister for education.
The ALP was defeated in federal elections held in 2013. Afterward, Kevin Rudd stepped down as ALP leader and retired from politics. In October, the ALP elected Shorten as its new leader. In 2019, the ALP was again defeated in federal elections. Shorten stepped down as party leader but remained active in politics. ALP members elected Anthony Albanese to lead the party.
