Standing up for families

Growing up in the suburbs, I watched as my mum made sacrifices and savings to put her two boys through school and herself through university.

She made sacrifices to pay for the things that are important. Things like health, education, and a good job.

My mum worked hard to give me and my brother the best start in life. I attended the Jesuit School Xavier College, completed a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Law from Monash University, as well as an MBA from the Melbourne Business School.

That’s why I have spent my adult life standing up for people, and I always will.

Serving the Labor Movement

I joined the Labor Party in my last year of High School - aged 17 and have since devoted my entire adult life to serving the Labor movement.

I have worked as a union organiser, lawyer, union secretary, as a member of the ACTU executive, as a Member of Parliament and as a Minister in a Labor Government.

I was first elected as the Member for Maribyrnong at the 2007 Federal Election.

When I was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, I was proud to begin work on the National Disability Insurance Scheme which will make sure Australians with disability, their carers and families get the care and support they deserve.

NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME

I was proud to begin work on the NDIS which helps Australians with disability, their carers and families get the care and support they deserve.

12% UNIVERSAL SUPERANNUATION

As Minister for Financial Services I worked hard to increase universal superannuation to 12 per cent, ensuring that Australians don’t work hard their whole lives only to retire poor.

BETTER SCHOOL REFORMS

During my time as Minister for Education I was happy to have helped secure Labor’s Better Schools reforms, to deliver more individual attention and more resources for students in every school.

A FAIR AND PRODUCTIVE WORKPLACE

As Minister for Workplace Relations, I continued Labor’s ongoing commitment to a fair and productive workplace relations system, and I always will.

I was first sworn into the Labor Ministry in September 2010 and promoted to Cabinet in December 2011.

As a senior member of the Labor Government, I played a key role in securing a number of historic Labor reforms including establishing the NDIS and increasing universal superannuation to 12 per cent, ensuring that Australians don’t work hard their whole lives only to retire poor.

As Minister for Workplace Relations, I continued the Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to a fair and productive workplace relations system.

During my time as Minister for Education I helped secure Labor’s Better Schools reforms which will deliver more individual attention and more resources for students in every school.

I have also been a director of AustralianSuper, Australia’s largest superannuation fund and a director of the Victorian Funds Management Corporation.

Growing up in the suburbs,
I watched as my mum made sacrifices.

She saved to put my twin brother and I through school and herself through university.

She made sacrifices to pay for the things that are important.

Things like health, education, and a good job.

That’s why I have spent my adult life standing up for working people, and I always will.

Bill Shorten husband and dad (and dog owner)

My wife Chloe and I have three wonderful kids: Georgette, Rupert and Clementine. I love being a dad and I love spending time with my family, especially on Saturdays when I become a bus driver shuttling them all from a sport lesson here to a
ballet lesson there.

Chloe, the kids, and I - also love our two pet British Bulldogs and honorary family members Theodore and Matilda.

My wife and I want the best for our kids and everyone else’s too.