Bill ducks on boats
MELBOURNE: Bill Shorten has put a republic, same-sex marriage and an emissions trading scheme on a future Labor government’s agenda, as he kicked off his first conference as leader.
Mr Shorten used the start of the Melbourne conference yesterday to spell out his vision for a “smart, modern and fair” Australia and introduce himself as a family man with strong values.
But the Opposition Leader largely avoided the divisive topic of asylum seekers after committing earlier this week to turning back the boats, a policy he previously rejected.
The first Labor leader to be elected by grass-roots and caucus members, Mr Shorten threw his weight behind a republic within a decade, 50 per cent female MPs in the caucus, same-sex marriage and renewable energy jobs driven by a globally linked ETS.
“We are ready to lead a smart, modern and fair Australia – ready, friends, to advance Australia,” he said.
Having faced two days in the unions royal commission witness stand, the former Australian Workers Union national secretary defended the party’s union base.
“No group of people in all of modern Australian history have done more to guarantee safety at work, to build national wealth, to lift the living standards of ordinary people, no one has done more than our unions, and 10,000 royal commissions won’t change that fact,” he said.
He contrasted a modern-focused Labor with the coalition “flat earthers” led by Prime Minister Tony Abbott – a staunch monarchist and opponent of same-sex marriage.
In a bid to head off a Coalition attack on a new carbon tax, Mr Shorten told delegates: “Let me say this again to our opponents in words of one syllable, an ETS is not a tax.”
Although the subject of asylum seekers was barely touched on, when he mentioned Opposition immigration spokesman Richard Marles, some of the delegates booed.