A biography for Bill Shortenhasn’t been written yet.
“We cannot let it be said of modern Australia that the colour of your skin determines whether or not you end up in jail.”
“If we are strategic, if we are smart, Australia can power our future prosperity with solar, wind, geothermal, and tidal energy.”
“The appalling rate of incarceration among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples demands we create justice targets under the Closing the Gap framework.”
“Australia's economic future depends upon getting smarter. This means investing in the skills and knowledge of our workforce.”
“It is devastating that jail is seen as a rite of passage for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, part of the natural order of things. It is an outrage that there is an attitude that this is normal. This is not normal. We can't shrug our shoulders and say this is just a 'fact of life' in remote Australia.”
“Workplace relations is about getting the best out of people. An argument which says that the only way we can compete with other nations in the world is engaging in a race to the bottom in terms of pay rates, penalty rates, protections on rosters, getting rid of family friendly provisions - that is not Australia's future.”
“We will always be a fair wage nation in a low wage region.”
“We commissioned an independent statutory economic body - the Productivity Commission - to review the possibility of funding a disability scheme. The commission returned with a view that it could. Then it becomes an issue of national will.”
“We should never seek to compete with economies in our region by cutting pay and conditions - that's a race to the bottom we can't win.”
“My father left school at 14 and became a fitter. He didn't want to be at school.”
“Safe Schools lets young people who identify as gay know that they have every right to be accepted and respected for who they are. We should never underestimate how important this message is - or the consequences of trying to shout it down.”
“To the best of my knowledge, when I became national secretary and, indeed, Victorian secretary, the - my predecessors in the union had detected wrong activities, activities which aren't in the best traditions of the AWU or, indeed, trade unionism.”
“Labor should not be about creating monuments on hills or statues in parks. Labor's 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.”
“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.”
“Safe Schools has been labelled a lot of things: Marxism, cultural relativism, 'grooming,' and part of something called the 'rainbow ideology.' But Safe Schools is not about imposing an ideology or an 'ism.' It's about teaching our kids to treat everyone equally, to understand rather than judge.”
“Both my parents were far smarter than the opportunities they had.”
“Anyone who's been a teenager, or raised one, knows growing up is hard. Kids can be cruel to their peers, and many young people go through tough times and experience low moments.”
“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.”
“When I entered federal parliament at the end of 2007, I was appointed parliamentary secretary for disabilities.”
“This is what I think about poverty: why waste the potential of people? You never know what you've got going in society unless you give people a chance.”