Bill Shorten

“There are far too many people in prison with poorly understood disability, particularly cognitive and mental disabilities. We cannot tolerate a system that just processes people rather than a system that fairly administers justice.”

“Poverty wastes people; it wastes opportunity.”

“There is no doubt our earth is warming and our seas rising - or that humankind is the cause. There is no evidence to refute this - or any genuine scientific counterargument in the climate change debate.”

“Ending discrimination and extending equality should always be a national priority.”

“I want to build a Big Labor party. A party of big ideas. A party which is deeply connected to the community. A party which reflects our diverse nation.”

“Both casual, unthinking discrimination and deliberate, malicious homophobia erode self-confidence and undermine mental health. Both are far too common, not just in our schoolyards or online but in sporting clubs, in the outer and even in our national parliament.”

“Labor must work harder to attract and retain members. The party should be cheaper to join with discounted rates available for union members as well as for students, pensioners, and people out of work.”

“I believe marriage equality is a simple change that sends a powerful message. It is a chance for us to say, as a nation, to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Australians: your love is equal under the law.”

“There are good reasons to push for more Indigenous Labor MPs, not just on equity but also for what they can contribute to Labor.”

“Trusting people to pursue their own futures invariably provides better outcomes. Money goes where it is needed, rather than being absorbed by administration costs.”

“Our world is moving forward on climate change. If Australia goes backwards, we will be going alone.”

“We have to become a learning society, committed to quality education from early childhood right through to re-training in later life.”

“Productivity is driven at the enterprise level. Better wages, better performing workplaces, are driven at the workplace level.”

“When someone has found not just another person they can live with but a person they can't live without, they should have an equal right to the true qualities of a bond that runs deeper than any law.”

“The supreme challenge of Labor is to recognise our 'revolutionary moment' when it arrives. And to have the courage to seize it - wholly, boldly, and completely.”

“We all have choices in history. Some are more important than others.”