: Thanks for joining us. My friend Bill Shorten has decided that he will not be contesting the next election. It’s a big decision for him, for Chloe and their family, who are joining us here today. Chloe and Clementine, welcome. And Bill and I have had a number of conversations over this, about this, over a period of time. I think it’s a credit to Bill that this news will come as a surprise. Because at no point in the past two and a bit years would any observer of Australian politics think that Bill Shorten was taking it easy or slowing down. In this term and right throughout his 17 years in Parliament and before that, as an official, a proud official of the trade union movement, Bill has given it everything, every single day. On that note, I want to make it clear that I’ve asked Bill to remain in Cabinet until he departs in February because he and I agree there is important work still to be done to put the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Insurance Scheme on a sustainable footing. When Bill was elected to Parliament in 2007, he was appointed to the new role of Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities. Just six years later, the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Insurance Scheme was part of Australia’s social safety net. That tells a tale. It speaks for Bill’s determination, his drive and his advocacy, his passion for this area throughout his entire time in public life, and his determination to make a difference, including to the most vulnerable people. I want him to finish the work he’s undertaking to secure the best possible outcome for people with disability, their families and carers. Equally, I know that Bill is very determined to see the job through. Now, only 21 people have had the extraordinary privilege of leading Australia’s oldest and greatest political party. Bill took over in the wake of a demoralising 2013 defeat. He united the party, he re-energised the caucus, he saw off two Prime Ministers and he rebuilt Labor into a strong opposition and a genuine alternative government. Through his years as leader, no one worked harder than Bill. No one brought more energy, enthusiasm, ideas and ambition to advocating for the need for a Labor Government. It is a measure of Bill’s character that he channelled the disappointment of 2019 into fighting for justice for the victims of Robodebt. His work has made our Government stronger and our nation better. When you think about those three things that Bill, up to this point, more to do in his career, will be, I think, quite rightly praised for his work with the trade union movement, helping working people, his support for people with disabilities and their families and carers, and his support for the victims of Robodebt. They have that social justice thread through them in the finest traditions of the Labor movement. I want to thank him for the valuable contribution that he has made as a Minister in my Government and on behalf of the Australian Labor Party, I thank Bill Shorten for the decades of service he has given to the Labor movement and to the lives of working people. And I look forward to over coming months continuing to watch Bill make a difference in public life and beyond that, making a difference to Australian society in his next endeavours. Bill Shorten.
BILL SHORTEN, MINISTER FOR THE NDIS AND GOVERNMENT SERVICES: Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve decided not to seek a seventh term in Parliament. Over 30 years ago, when I joined the Australian Workers Union, I was driven by the belief that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves an equal opportunity, the opportunity to fulfil their potential. That’s what fair wages and safe workplaces, decent conditions are all about. It’s recognising the merit and worth of every individual. It’s the same principle which brought me here in 2007. A determination to always stand up for the underdog, for all the people who don’t start out with the same set of advantages in life. But there’s something else that AWU members have taught me. In the end, we’re all just passing through. What matters is whether we leave the place better than we found it. That’s the challenge I’ve always been up for. It’s why I’m so proud to serve in the Albanese Government. I genuinely consider myself to be one of the luckiest people in politics. I’ve been the Member for Maribyrnong. It’s a community I love so much. I’ve had the privilege to serve in portfolios that I care about. There was the bushfire reconstruction, industrial relations, superannuation. When I first came here, the junior Minister for disabilities and now the Minister for the ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Disability Insurance Scheme. And for nearly six years I had the very amazing privilege of serving as leader of our party and the movement which has been such an irreplaceable part of my life. None of this would have been possible without the tremendous love, patience, support from Chloe, Rupert, Georgette and Clementine, the sacrifices they’ve made. Chloe has been a tower of love and strength and I think she’s shown more courage than I dreamed could exist. I’ll thank others later because today is not my valedictory, there’s plenty more work to be done. I would like to take this opportunity to make a couple of reflections. When I was voted Labor Leader after the 2013 election, the party, as the Prime Minister said, was at a low ebb. We were reduced to 55 seats, our worst result since 1996. We were up against an ascendant Abbott Government with a fierce ideological agenda. And the 2014 Budget was the centre of that. There was an attempt to dismantle Medicare, slash the funding for schools and hospitals, make it harder for people to go to university. The ripping off the safety net for people on the pension and young people looking for work. And they were walking away from renewable energy, ARENA, turning our back on climate action. If you look back at the commentary at the time, there were many who said Labor should simply roll over, accept the mandate, support these visionary ideas. There were some who argued it would be smart politics for us to let people feel the pain of these cuts. But instead, our united team, we decided to back ourselves. We stood against these changes. We looked to Australians not just for their approval, we trusted in their instinct for fairness. We argued on the policy, we took the responsibility to put forward positive alternatives, put pressure back on the other side. Not every idea succeeded, I understand that. We didn’t win every battle. But Labor, we never stopped trying, whether it was defending Medicare or real action on climate, marriage equality, advancing First Nations representation in our ranks, championing wages and conditions, setting a target of 50 per cent of women MPs by 2025, the Banking Royal Commission or tax reform. These were hard fights, all worth having. Just as the Robodebt Royal Commission, which our Prime Minister backed in Shadow Cabinet from day one, is now changing social services for the better. Even Labor’s tax cuts now delivering for every Australian, including low and middle income earners, instead of the flat rate at the top end. That was a battle that started many years ago. This is always when Labor is at its best. When we are the party of ambition and compassion. When we use the power of politics to stand up for those who were denied power by the circumstances of their birth or the shafts of fate. The Prime Minister gets that, it’s what drives our entire Government. It’s what continues to drive me every day. I particularly want to speak to people with disability, their carers and the people who love them and work with them. I love the NDIS, I helped create it, we’ve repaired it, I’ll always defend it. I will use every minute left in this job to secure the future of the Scheme and ensure it continues to empower with choice and control and give Australians with disability the chance to fulfil their potential. And the same goes for every Australian who relies on Services Australia. We’ve got work to do to ensure our citizens can access services equitably, fairly and quickly. And the digital transformation that we do will prioritise the ability of our citizens to control their own information. In conclusion, I’ve experienced some extraordinary political highs in the last 17 years, and let’s face it, some extraordinary political lows. But there is not a single day in the last 17 years that I would hand back. Because every day I know how lucky I have been to have the privilege to serve the Australian people. Now, like many people in their fifties, have started to think about what comes next. I have a choice, which I’ve discussed with the Prime Minister, to seek more terms in Parliament or step into a new career while I’m relatively young enough to make that choice and can choose a career consistent with my ideals about ensuring that people can fulfil their potential. Core to the future of Australia is ensuring our nation can choose its own path. That means choosing education, choosing skills, choosing the re-skilling of our Australians, choosing lifelong knowledge acquisition. That is why I am excited to say that from February of next year, I have been chosen to be the Vice Chancellor of the University of Canberra. Education is the modern means of taking someone from disadvantage to advantage in a way that no other method can. And universities have a critical role to play. The hopes and dreams of Australians are lifted when they’re able to fulfil their own potential. And the hopes and dreams of our nation are lifted too. I’m looking forward to joining a university that had been rated number one in the world for reducing inequalities, where 40 per cent of graduates are the first in family to obtain a degree. That was my mother’s story, so for me, this is the fair go in action. I have gratefully accepted the Prime Minister’s request that I remain serving in the Cabinet, continue to complete our first term reform agenda for the NDIS and government services. I am thankful to be leaving Parliament while there are still some people who want me to stay and while I have more to give to this great country and the remarkable people who call it home. Thank you very much.
PRIME MINISTER: Happy to take questions, Phil.
JOURNALIST: Minister Shorten, just on the NDIS which is part of a legacy policy for you, it is also one of the biggest economic challenges facing the Government at the moment. Do you believe there is time between now and your departure to get it back on track, or is it going to require significant more work after you leave?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Our NDIS is one of the great significant opportunities for Australia. We have made reforms to this system through the legislation, through working with the state governments, but we’ve already made reforms which are seeing that some of the growth has begun to decrease. I’m confident that the hard work of the disability sector, the Federal Government, the Cabinet, the states, all the people who care about the future of the Scheme, is already seeing green shoots of recovery. What we did three weeks ago in the Parliament has meant that we will be able to set this on a direction where the Scheme will be true to its original purpose, where the shonks and frauds are evicted and will start focusing on outcomes for people. And I’m absolutely positive about the bright horizon for the NDIS.
JOURNALIST: When were you offered the job as Vice Chancellor at the University of Canberra? And do you intend on moving to Canberra for that position?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Just one caveat about the University. I start in February. So, whilst I’ll answer questions today, I go back to my day job this afternoon. But for clarity, the Council of the University of Canberra approved me unanimously yesterday at 4:00pm and yes, I will be moving to Canberra next year.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Shorten, you mentioned the extraordinary lows. Politics is a tough business, and so a personal question on those lows. Not everybody survives mentally, I think it’s fair to say, when they lose leadership or they lose power, we’ve seen people who haven’t been able to cope with that. What’s your advice to fellow politicians on how to survive that?
MINISTER SHORTEN: No one in my family was ever a politician. Some of – my dad was English – some of my British relatives came to see me before the 2019 election and they knew my grandmother. She lived in public housing in Tyneside. She was an air raid warden in the Second World War. She was a cleaner, she was a battler. My English family said it would be unimaginable to my grandma the idea that her grandson would have the opportunity to serve in a parliament and to indeed run for Prime Minister. So, I don’t worry about what hasn’t been. I think I’m really lucky. I have had the chance to help create, defend and improve the NDIS. I’ve had the very, very, very privileged position to lead Labor. I’ve had the chance to help the victims of Robodebt every day in this job, and I’m sure every Member of Parliament agrees, is a privileged day. And as I said earlier, despite the ups and the downs, there is not a single day I would hand back in 17 years.
JOURNALIST: The 2019 election platform to reform franking credits, negative gearing and capital gains tax. It’s full of ideas which now have support not just from the Greens, but also the Lower House and the Senate crossbench. Were these ideas before their time? And is that a road map for Labor to do more on housing affordability and wealth inequality?
MINISTER SHORTEN: I’ll go to the point about the 2019 election. I’m proud of the fact that we took policies to the people where we were honest and upfront. Some of the ideas, and I’m not referring particularly to yours, were bold and audacious. But this Government’s now been able to succeed because they got elected in implementing some of the threads of the hard work, from climate change to a Future Made in Australia, to training our apprentices. In terms of the tax reform propositions, the reality is that the verdict of the people was that they weren’t ready for that. And where we’re going, by focusing on supply, focusing on building more housing, I think is the sensible, realistic proposition which brings people together and we’ve got a very ambitious program which we’re rolling out.
JOURNALIST: In terms of your experience and the state that the opinion polls are in, what do you think the Government needs to do differently in order to win the next election outright?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Well, I think we’re doing a good job. The truth of the matter is people are hurting. Cost of living is tough. The Reserve Bank has increased interest rates 13 times. But think about what this Government’s done. There’s two options. Try and push this economy into recession, as the Liberals will do. Cut, slash, burn, or indeed do what we’ve accomplished. Inflation, when Anthony got elected, had a six in front of it, it’s now got a three in front of it. I mean, goodness me, there’s an alternative. We are tackling inflation. It is sticky at the moment, but that happens in economies as they’re getting it down that last percent. Thank goodness this Government changed the Morrison tax plan into a Labor tax plan where 13.6 million people pay less tax. We’ve seen the wage rises move for a lot of low paid workers, the Medicare changes. What we are doing is tackling cost of living, but not in a way where it makes a recession and slams the economy into a wall.
JOURNALIST: The Prime Minister said that you’d had a number of conversations preceding this decision. Can you let us into who said what to whom and who was encouraging who to do what? Was it you trying to go, or him trying to keep you here, or to make you go?
MINISTER SHORTEN: We’re not going to – I think you would be one of the great fly fishermen of Australia. But that little bait you’re dangling, I won’t go to. Suffice to say, the Prime Minister has made it clear that my actions are my choice. And after six terms, this is a good Government and it’s doing a lot of important work. But I’m not going to guess at all of your ages in this Gallery, but some of you perhaps are the other side of 50 and you thought, what do you do next? I’ve got this opportunity, the hard won lessons taught to me by the workers of Australia, by the constituents of Maribyrnong, by people with disabilities. I got a chance to take that experience and tackle what I think is one of the big issues for the future. I mean, long after the minerals are exhausted, long after we’ve, you know, done or dug up stuff, what really matters in this country is the people. And I’ve got a chance to help people at a university fulfil their potential and thereby fulfil the potential of Australia.
JOURNALIST: There’s an addendum just now on your roles in the removal of Kevin Rudd in 2010 and Julia Gillard, to a lesser extent in 2013. How do you reflect on those now? Do you have regrets about that, or were they a necessary part of the process of politics?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Regrets – I might borrow from someone else. Regrets, I’ve had a few. But then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do but much more than this – I did it my way.
JOURNALIST: Obviously, the NDIS is such a huge part of your legacy. Who would you like to see continue that in this Government? And have you had chats about that already?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Labor is chock-a-block full of talented people. One thing we all know, be it a politician or a member of the press, is we’re all replaceable. What we have, though now in the NDIS reforms, is a clear direction, a commitment to co-design. Kurt Fearnley is the Chair of the Board. We’ve got an excellent group of people here at the Agency. The NDIA is here to stay and Labor is making the necessary changes.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Shorten two, if I can. What’s your view on foreign student caps, as an incoming Vice Chancellor?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Let me trump an incoming Vice Chancellor with a current Cabinet Minister. I support the Government’s propositions. And, you know, in February then I’ll be doing the job at the University of Canberra. But I understand clearly my obligation to the people of Maribyrnong, to people in the portfolios I serve, to the people who are getting their phones answered more quickly at Centrelink, who are getting their payments more quickly, to the people who want verifiable identification. I’m supporting the Government’s changes and that is as it should be.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Shorten, what was harder for you, getting into politics or making the decision to go?
MINISTER SHORTEN: There’s an old saying which new MPs don’t realise, but they get told by old hands. It’s actually easier to get into Parliament than to leave. I’m incredibly lucky at my 17 years. I’m incredibly grateful to the people who’ve sent me here six times. I have learned far more from the people of Australia than I can ever teach them. But this feels right. It feels like I’ve got a chance to make another contribution. And I’ve loved working in the first term of an Albanese Government. And by the way, as the Prime Minister said, we’ve still got more work to do.
JOURNALIST: Just on the talent from the Labor Party, is there someone that you have in mind to potentially replace you in the seat of Maribyrnong? And Mr. Albanese, is it your expectation that there will be a bit of a gap between where Mr. Shorten leaves and the election, where that seat doesn’t have a member or what’s the logistics there?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Listen, there’s a lot of great locals in Maribyrnong who could replace me. One thing’s for sure, I will be replaced. The ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Executive nominations close next week. I know I have a couple of very good candidates, but today I think is about this and let’s see what emerges in coming days.
PRIME MINISTER: Yeah, we’ll go through a process to select a candidate. With regard to other issues, we’ll deal with them as it comes. The election’s due by next May. There is some precedent for there being a gap for a short period of time. Minister Shorten will continue to serve until February. It’s possible there’ll be a small gap where the Electorate Office continues to serve the interests of people. But Bill, of course had this opportunity come before him and you know, one of the things – I made this point when we were talking, I won’t talk about all of our private discussions – but something I said earlier is it is to Bill’s credit that he’s determining his time to walk away. A whole lot of people lose their seat or they don’t get control of their own destiny. Bill has control of his own destiny and that’s a great thing.
JOURNALIST: Mr. Shorten, you’ve sort of infamously predicted when you were still at Monash University that you’d be up against Malcolm Turnbull, I think in federal politics. You’ve never been short of ambition. But can I get your reflections on the 2016 and 2019 elections when your manifesto was so ambitious it turned people off? And can you also reflect on your legacy?
MINISTER SHORTEN: On 2016 I recall we won 15 seats, so I don’t quite accept the proposition we turned people off.
JOURNALIST: That’s what you told (inaudible).
MINISTER SHORTEN: No, it’s just a matter of record. In 2019, we did have an ambitious platform. The verdict came in, I accepted that. But I am proud that we put our propositions forward. Labor’s at its best when they know what we stand for and they will fight for things. Now, I absolutely support and congratulate the Prime Minister. He took us from 2019 and closed the deal with the Australian people. And that’s just meant that all of the good ideas, which I’d like to have seen, a lot of them are happening. In terms of legacy, I’ll do my valedictory, but I’m proud of the NDIS. I know that I was the first politician to use the term. It is changing lives. It was unexpected to me though that this sort of sense of humour that the universe has, that having sort of talked about creating it, the universe then said, “well, you can go and fix it up now, son.” But we’re doing that with thousands of people with disability. I’m very grateful for their advice. So, the NDIS is great. I am pleased that we brought the previous Government to justice over Robodebt. And I’m pleased, also, to have had the opportunity to lead Labor and 2013 and some of the years after, they were tough years, but the whole team pulled together and it was never just me. In each of my accomplishments, it’s the people. And I’ve been to fortunate to have a lucky role in it.
JOURNALIST: To clarify, Mr. Shorten hasn’t inadvertently belled a cat on a February 2025 election, has he?
PRIME MINISTER: No, that happens to be when the academic year starts. So, I think it would have been unreasonable to say to Minister Shorten, “well, it’s terrific you’ve had this opportunity, but can you just chill out for another year, sometime between May or whenever it is, and that year.” So, it’s just common sense and it’s an opportunity which is there. And I think it’s an exciting opportunity as well. Bill left off his CV there, Minister for Education in the national Government, and he has had an interest. And as I said on election night, and as every Labor Leader has understood, education is the key to widening those doors of opportunity.
JOURNALIST: Minister, you just got through a pretty tough fight on NDIS where you managed to get Pauline Hanson on board before the Greens. Can you reflect on the changing mechanics of this place in your 17 years? What’s changed and what should change moving forward?
MINISTER SHORTEN: I think it says more about the Greens that Pauline Hanson could see the advantages of saving the Scheme than they could. I think one of the – listen, there’s a lot of good things about this place. People come here motivated to do a difference, to make a difference. I’m not going to speak ill of colleagues. I do think the Greens political party does need to – they need to work out if they want to be more than a protest outrage factory. The issues that Australia faces are complicated. Housing, climate, education, economic growth. And all of us who have the lucky privilege to serve have that obligation, as I said, that my members taught me in factories and mines and construction sites many years ago, we all have an obligation to leave the place better than we found it. But in 17 years, my conclusion is I’ve been extremely fortunate to serve. Privileged to meet literally hundreds of thousands of people, from bushfire survivors to flood victims, to teachers in our school system, the troops I’ve met in Afghanistan and Iraq, people with disabilities, and indeed the media. So, you know.
JOURNALIST: Just following up on Robodebt and championing justice for victims. Can you reflect on the core issue of accountability? There are a lot of disappointed people out there. Can you reflect on that? What do you say to victims and who will champion this inside government going forward?
MINISTER SHORTEN: Well, every Labor Member is a champion for people who experience disadvantage. So, there’s a Caucus full of champions. In terms of Robodebt and the victims, it should never have happened. The best thing I could say to victims is that we’ve invented the DeLorean and we can go back in time and make sure the law was never broken. But the DeLorean hasn’t been invented. So, what we can do is seek compensation for them, which we did in the Class Action. What we can do is hold the previous Government to account, which we have. There’s Coalition Ministers who forever in their Wikipedia entry will have that they were Robodebt Ministers. But most importantly, the Public Service and Ministers need to learn that we’ve got to always understand the implication of our policies before we do it. We will never again, I hope, see a chapter in Australia’s modern history where we assume that people on welfare are cheats or second class. Access to our social services system is a human right backed by our commitment to United Nations conventions. I’m confident with the modern Services Australia, we’re reducing the waiting times on the phone, we’re getting the payments out. There is a definite change in culture. I hear that from the advocates. But we have more improvements to make. But if we never forget Robodebt, then that’s our best chance never to repeat it.
PRIME MINISTER: Thanks very much, everyone.
