Bill Shorten announces his retirement from politics alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday.Credit:AAP
“Bill is a Labor patriot,” Paterson said.
Albanese and Shorten are not political allies and were on different sides of leadership battles but they have enjoyed a good working relationship in this term.
Shorten’s unexpected loss to Scott Morrison in 2019 has been blamed in part on Labor’s electorally daunting “100 positive policies” agenda.
The NDIS minister said he accepted the verdict of voters in 2019 but added Labor was at its best when it put forward big ideas and when “we use the power of politics to stand up for those who were denied power”.
Albanese said Shorten was a warrior for working people.
“He united the party[after the 2013 loss],he re-energised the caucus,he saw off two prime ministers,” Albanese said.
University of Canberra chancellor Lisa Paul,who co-authored last year’s NDIS review,said Shorten was unanimously appointed by a panel from a field of overseas applicants.
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Paul said Shorten’s new salary had not been settled,but he and the university agreed it would be less than the $1.8 million paid to the former vice-chancellor in 2023.
Bruce Bonyhady,an original architect of the NDIS,said Shorten had laid the groundwork to get the scheme back on track.
The first tranche of laws reforming the NDIS passed with both Coalition and Labor premiers’ support last month,despite months of pushback from the Greens,state premiers and some disability advocates.
“That has been an absolutely remarkable achievement,” Bonyhady said.
Those who worked with Shorten in his time as NDIS minister said the scheme’s next leader would need to remain in cabinet.
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