Bill Shorten

William Richard Shorten (born 1967), Australian trade union official, is National Secretary and Victorian state secretary of the Australian Workers' Union (AWU), one of Australia's oldest and largest unions. He is widely expected to enter federal politics at the next federal election.

Related Topics:
1967 - Australian - Trade union - Victorian - Australian Workers' Union - Next federal election

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Shorten was born in Melbourne and was educated at Xavier College (a leading Catholic school) and Monash University, where he graduated in arts and law. He also holds an MBA from the Melbourne Business College: an unusual qualification for a trade union official.

Related Topics:
Melbourne - Xavier College - Catholic - Monash University - MBA - Melbourne Business College

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Shorten began working in the labour movement while still a student, working part-time for Neil Pope, a minister in the Australian Labor Party state government of John Cain. After graduating he worked for several years as a lawyer for the firm of Maurice Blackburn Cashman, a firm which does most of its business representing trade unions.

Related Topics:
Neil Pope - Australian Labor Party - John Cain - Maurice Blackburn Cashman

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In 1994 Shorten began his career as an employee of the AWU, before being elected Victorian State Secretary in 1998. Before taking this post Shorten had decided to enter Victorian state politics, and was the endorsed Labor candidate for the state seat of Melton for the 1999 state election, but gave this up to pursue his career with the union. Shorten was responsible for reforming of the union's structure: as a result of the reforms, the AWU has seen a significant increase in membership.

Related Topics:
1994 - 1998 - Melton - 1999

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Shorten was elected as the AWU's National Secretary in 2001, and was re-elected in 2005. He continues to serve as Victorian State Secretary. As a trade union official with a middle-class background and a tertiary education, he reflects the changing composition of the AWU's membership, and of the trade union movement.

Related Topics:
2001 - 2005

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Shorten is an active member in the Australian Labor Party: he is a member of the National Executive and of the Administrative Committee of the Victorian Branch. He is a director of the Superannuation Trust of Australia and the Victorian Funds Management Corporation. He is also a member of the Australian Council of Trade Unions Executive.

Related Topics:
Australian Labor Party - National Executive - Superannuation Trust of Australia - Australian Council of Trade Unions

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During 1995 there has been increasing speculation that Shorten intends entering federal politics at the next election. It is believed that he will seek endorsement for the safe Labor seat of Maribyrnong, where the sitting Labor member, Robert Sercombe, who is not a member of any faction, is vulnerable to a challenge. The AWU has always been a pillar of the right-wing Labor Unity faction of the party, which controls the Victorian Branch.

Related Topics:
1995 - Maribyrnong - Robert Sercombe - Labor Unity

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Shorten has refused to confirm (or deny) that he intends running. In August he said: "I'm interested in politics but at the moment, the most important fight which I'm engaged in is to make sure that our members and their families don't get done in by some of the tough laws which the Howard Government's proposing to pass through their Senate... At this stage, I'm not running for pre-selection." (see link below for his full comments)

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