Bill Shorten

The Honourable Bill Shorten MP
Shorten in 2021
Minister for Government Services
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2022
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Linda Reynolds
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 June 2022
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Linda Reynolds
Leader of the Opposition
In office 13 October 2013 – 30 May 2019
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Succeeded by	Anthony Albanese
Leader of the Labor Party
In office 13 October 2013 – 30 May 2019
Deputy	Tanya Plibersek
Preceded by	Kevin Rudd
Succeeded by	Anthony Albanese
Minister for Education
In office 1 July 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Peter Garrett
Succeeded by	Christopher Pyne
Minister for Workplace Relations
In office 14 December 2011 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Chris Evans
Succeeded by	Eric Abetz
Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation
In office 14 September 2010 – 1 July 2013
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Succeeded by	David Bradbury
Assistant Treasurer of Australia
In office 14 September 2010 – 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Nick Sherry
Succeeded by	Mark Arbib
Member of the Australian Parliament for Maribyrnong
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2007
Preceded by	Bob Sercombe
Personal details
Born	(1967-05-12) 12 May 1967 (age 57) Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouses	Debbie Beale ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2008)​ Chloe Bryce ​ (m. 2009)​
Children	1
Relatives	Michael Bryce (father-in-law) Quentin Bryce (mother-in-law)
Education	Monash University (BA, LLB) University of Melbourne (MBA)
Signature
Website	www.billshorten.com.au
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Australian Army Reserve
Years of service	1985–1986

William Richard Shorten (born 12 May 1967) is an Australian politician and former trade unionist serving as the current Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme since 2022. Previously, Shorten was leader of the opposition and leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 2013 to 2019. A member of parliament (MP) for the division of Maribyrnong since 2007, Shorten also held several ministerial portfolios in the Gillard and Rudd governments from 2010 to 2013.

Born in Melbourne, Shorten studied law at Monash University. He worked in politics and in law before becoming an organiser with the Australian Workers' Union (AWU) in 1994. He was elected state secretary of the Victorian Branch of the AWU in 1998 before becoming AWU national secretary in 2001. In this role, Shorten played a prominent role as a negotiator following the Beaconsfield Mine collapse in 2006, which first brought him to national prominence.

Shorten was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2007 federal election, winning the seat of Maribyrnong, before being immediately appointed a Parliamentary Secretary. Following the 2010 election, he was promoted to the cabinet, serving first as Assistant Treasurer, then as Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation and Minister for Workplace Relations in Julia Gillard's government. After Kevin Rudd replaced Gillard as prime minister in June 2013, Shorten was briefly Minister for Education until the Labor Party's defeat at the 2013 election.

After Rudd retired from politics, Shorten won a leadership election in October 2013 against Anthony Albanese, and became leader of the Labor Party. He led Labor to a narrow loss at the 2016 election and then led Labor to an unexpected defeat at the 2019 election, after which he announced his resignation as leader, with Albanese being elected unopposed to replace him.^[1][2] Following Labor's victory at the 2022 election, Shorten was appointed as the Minister for Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Shorten is a senior figure within the Labor Right.^[3]