Watch FIFA World Cup 2026™ LIVE, FREE and EXCLUSIVE

Shorten outlines ambitious plan for Labor

Bill Shorten has said union membership should not be compulsory for prospective members of the Labor Party, during a speech today in Melbourne.

Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten

The Labor party needs to adapt its traditional values to suit a changing Australia. (AAP)

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says it should no longer be compulsory for members of the Labor party to join a union and every supporter should be able to join with one click of a computer mouse.

In a speech outlining his vision for the ALP, Mr Shorten says he has instructed national secretary George Wright to scrap the union requirement and create a one-click online joining model by July.

However, despite the changes, he says the union movement will always have a place in Labor.

He was due to give the address earlier this month but it was postponed after the death of his mother.


1 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Watch now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world