Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09MELBOURNE69
2009-06-12 05:08:00
CONFIDENTIAL//NOFORN
Consulate Melbourne
how-toVZCZCXRO7244 RR RUEHPT DE RUEHBN #0069/01 1630508 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 120508Z JUN 09 FM AMCONSUL MELBOURNE TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4950 INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3596 RUEHPT/AMCONSUL PERTH 1577 RUEHDN/AMCONSUL SYDNEY 2099
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000069
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2019
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV AS
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY - BILL SHORTEN MP
REF: A. CANBERRA 542
B. MELBOURNE 52
Classified By: Justin L. Kolbeck for reasons 1.4(b)(d)
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MELBOURNE 000069
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2019
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV AS
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY - BILL SHORTEN MP
REF: A. CANBERRA 542
B. MELBOURNE 52
Classified By: Justin L. Kolbeck for reasons 1.4(b)(d)
Summary
--------------
1. (C/NF) Consul General met with Melbourne-based Member of
Parliament Bill Shorten, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary
for Disabilities and Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction.
Widely touted as a future Prime Minister, we provide bio
notes on this young, ambitious Parliamentarian. End summary.
Bio Notes - Bill Shorten
--------------
2. (C/NF) Born on May 12, 1967, Shorten makes no bones about
his ambitions in federal politics. During a June 11 meeting,
Shorten told Consul General that "he did not take this job to
stand still." He explained that he had been overlooked for
promotion in Prime Minister Rudd's June 6 cabinet reshuffle
(Ref. A) in order to keep the geographical balance in the
cabinet between Victoria and New South Wales. (Comment:
Despite words to the contrary, Shorten appeared disappointed
while he was discussing this topic. End comment.) According
to Shorten, 10 of the 30 cabinet positions are held by
Victorians and the two recent vacancies came from New South
Wales, which required the Prime Minister to promote New South
Welshmen Chris Bowen and Jason Clare.
3. (SBU) Shorten said that he is deeply influenced by Martin
Luther King Jr. and quoted from several of his speeches in
our meeting with him. While National Secretary of the
powerful Australian Workers' Union, he spent time in the
United States collaborating with the United Steel Workers'
union; his successor Paul Howes has since carried this
relationship forward. Along with Senator Stephen Conroy, he
leads the Victorian wing of the Australian Labor Party's
(ALP) right-leaning faction formally known as Labor Unity
(Ref. B for additional details). He is widely known for his
pro-U.S. stance.
4. (SBU) Bill Shorten is part of a new generation of
articulate, young labor union leaders which includes South
Australian MP Mark Butler and Victorian MP Richard Marles who
were both promoted to Parliamentary Secretaries in the June 6
reshuffle. Shorten was highly critical, however, of current
Australian union leadership, saying that there have been
insufficient efforts spent on grooming the next generation of
leaders. He has an MBA from Melbourne University, was close
to the late packaging mogul Richard Pratt, and said that in
comparison to other union leaders, he is willing to listen to
business concerns.
5. (SBU) A longtime member of the ALP, William "Bill" Richard
Shorten was elected to Australia's House of Representatives
during the November 24, 2007 federal election. His rapid
rise through the labor union movement to become National
Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union in 2001 led many
political observers to tout him as a possible ALP star and to
predict a front-bench ministry for him in the Rudd
government. The Prime Minister, however, made public
comments highlighting the importance of parliamentary
experience and awarded Shorten the "mini-ministry" of
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's
services. Following the devastating Victorian bushfires of
February 2009, Rudd promoted Shorten by giving him the
additional responsibility for Bushfire Reconstruction.
Anti-Federalist Approach to Bushfire Reconstruction
-------------- --------------
6. (C/NF) Although he is the senior federal politician
responsible for Australia's bushfire reconstruction efforts,
Shorten said he preferred to leave firefighting and much of
the reconstruction effort to the states. The federal
government already has "plenty of duties," he said, and he
did not want to see additional powers delegated to the
federal level as a result of the Royal Commission into the
February 2009 fires. (Note: The findings from the Royal
Commission will be published in August and post will report
septel on the conclusions. End note.) Shorten noted that
there will likely be changes to Australia's national fire
warning service and that the "leave early or stay and fight"
policy will face continued scrutiny.
Comment
MELBOURNE 00000069 002 OF 002
--------------
7. (C/NF) Shorten, who is somewhat rumpled in appearance,
prefers to get down to business quickly in meetings. He is a
nimble conversationalist who understands nuance. In addition
to being cautious, considered and thoughtful, he is able to
skillfully steer away from topics he prefers to avoid.
Recently separated from his former wife Debbie Beale, Shorten
is reportedly in a relationship with Governor General Quentin
Bryce's daughter, Chloe. He admitted that he is still
getting his feet wet in Parliament and that things there are
"more complicated than he thought." Despite his lukewarm
relationship with Prime Minister Rudd (he sided with Kim
Beazley in the 2006 ALP leadership ballot),Shorten struck us
as highly ambitious but willing to wait -- at least for a
while -- for his moment in the sun.
THURSTON
NOFORN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR INR
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/12/2019
TAGS: PINR PREL PGOV AS
SUBJECT: BIOGRAPHY - BILL SHORTEN MP
REF: A. CANBERRA 542
B. MELBOURNE 52
Classified By: Justin L. Kolbeck for reasons 1.4(b)(d)
Summary
--------------
1. (C/NF) Consul General met with Melbourne-based Member of
Parliament Bill Shorten, Australia's Parliamentary Secretary
for Disabilities and Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction.
Widely touted as a future Prime Minister, we provide bio
notes on this young, ambitious Parliamentarian. End summary.
Bio Notes - Bill Shorten
--------------
2. (C/NF) Born on May 12, 1967, Shorten makes no bones about
his ambitions in federal politics. During a June 11 meeting,
Shorten told Consul General that "he did not take this job to
stand still." He explained that he had been overlooked for
promotion in Prime Minister Rudd's June 6 cabinet reshuffle
(Ref. A) in order to keep the geographical balance in the
cabinet between Victoria and New South Wales. (Comment:
Despite words to the contrary, Shorten appeared disappointed
while he was discussing this topic. End comment.) According
to Shorten, 10 of the 30 cabinet positions are held by
Victorians and the two recent vacancies came from New South
Wales, which required the Prime Minister to promote New South
Welshmen Chris Bowen and Jason Clare.
3. (SBU) Shorten said that he is deeply influenced by Martin
Luther King Jr. and quoted from several of his speeches in
our meeting with him. While National Secretary of the
powerful Australian Workers' Union, he spent time in the
United States collaborating with the United Steel Workers'
union; his successor Paul Howes has since carried this
relationship forward. Along with Senator Stephen Conroy, he
leads the Victorian wing of the Australian Labor Party's
(ALP) right-leaning faction formally known as Labor Unity
(Ref. B for additional details). He is widely known for his
pro-U.S. stance.
4. (SBU) Bill Shorten is part of a new generation of
articulate, young labor union leaders which includes South
Australian MP Mark Butler and Victorian MP Richard Marles who
were both promoted to Parliamentary Secretaries in the June 6
reshuffle. Shorten was highly critical, however, of current
Australian union leadership, saying that there have been
insufficient efforts spent on grooming the next generation of
leaders. He has an MBA from Melbourne University, was close
to the late packaging mogul Richard Pratt, and said that in
comparison to other union leaders, he is willing to listen to
business concerns.
5. (SBU) A longtime member of the ALP, William "Bill" Richard
Shorten was elected to Australia's House of Representatives
during the November 24, 2007 federal election. His rapid
rise through the labor union movement to become National
Secretary of the Australian Workers' Union in 2001 led many
political observers to tout him as a possible ALP star and to
predict a front-bench ministry for him in the Rudd
government. The Prime Minister, however, made public
comments highlighting the importance of parliamentary
experience and awarded Shorten the "mini-ministry" of
Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's
services. Following the devastating Victorian bushfires of
February 2009, Rudd promoted Shorten by giving him the
additional responsibility for Bushfire Reconstruction.
Anti-Federalist Approach to Bushfire Reconstruction
-------------- --------------
6. (C/NF) Although he is the senior federal politician
responsible for Australia's bushfire reconstruction efforts,
Shorten said he preferred to leave firefighting and much of
the reconstruction effort to the states. The federal
government already has "plenty of duties," he said, and he
did not want to see additional powers delegated to the
federal level as a result of the Royal Commission into the
February 2009 fires. (Note: The findings from the Royal
Commission will be published in August and post will report
septel on the conclusions. End note.) Shorten noted that
there will likely be changes to Australia's national fire
warning service and that the "leave early or stay and fight"
policy will face continued scrutiny.
Comment
MELBOURNE 00000069 002 OF 002
--------------
7. (C/NF) Shorten, who is somewhat rumpled in appearance,
prefers to get down to business quickly in meetings. He is a
nimble conversationalist who understands nuance. In addition
to being cautious, considered and thoughtful, he is able to
skillfully steer away from topics he prefers to avoid.
Recently separated from his former wife Debbie Beale, Shorten
is reportedly in a relationship with Governor General Quentin
Bryce's daughter, Chloe. He admitted that he is still
getting his feet wet in Parliament and that things there are
"more complicated than he thought." Despite his lukewarm
relationship with Prime Minister Rudd (he sided with Kim
Beazley in the 2006 ALP leadership ballot),Shorten struck us
as highly ambitious but willing to wait -- at least for a
while -- for his moment in the sun.
THURSTON