Election 2019: Bill Shorten

Opposition leader Bill Shorten's rise to leader of the Labor Party in 2013 fulfilled a long-held ambition for the former union leader. He's managed to last as party leader longer than most in recent history, and opinion polling suggests there might be more.

Bill Shorten promises an all-out push to restore penalty rates and lift wages if Labor wins office. (AAP) Source: AAP

Bill Shorten has long been touted as a potential future prime minister by many within the Labor Party.

He first became involved in the party at university, after which he worked as a lawyer at the firm Maurice Blackburn.

He joined the union movement in 1994 and served as national secretary of the Australian Workers Union from 2001 to 2007.

He was also a board member of lobby group GetUp! until early 2006.

In 2008, he entered federal parliament, winning the safe Labor seat of Maribyrnong, ((MAH-ruh-buh-nong)) in Melbourne's west.

He became Labor leader in 2013.

Three years later at the 2016 federal election, Mr Shorten led Labor to gain 14 seats on the back of a campaign centred around health care and education.

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