The former federal Labor leader Bill Shorten is retiring from politics to take up the role of vice-chancellor at the University of Canberra.
The one-time union boss will begin his new role in February and will remain in cabinet until then.
Shorten said on Thursday “my actions are my choice” and after six terms and 17 years in parliament he believed it was time to go.
“I’ve got this opportunity [to take] the hard lessons taught to me by the workers of Australia, the constituents of Maribyrnong, people with disability – I have a chance to take that experience and tackle what I think is one of the big issues for the future,” he said.
“What really matters in this country is the people – and I have a chance to help people at a university fulfil that potential and thereby fulfil the potential of Australia.”
Shorten said he believed “a nation can choose its own path – that means choosing education, skills, choosing the reskilling of our Australians, choosing lifelong knowledge acquisition”.
Shorten quoted Frank Sinatra when asked about his role in toppling the former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd.
“Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. I did what I had to do but much more than this, I did it my way.”
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, initially announced the news at a press conference in Canberra on Thursday, praising his factional “frenemy” as someone who had left an indelible mark on the Labor party.
“I want to make it clear that I have asked Bill to remain in cabinet until he departs in February because he and I agreed there is important work still to be done to put the national disability insurance scheme on a sustainable footing,” Albanese said.
Shorten said he was “driven by the belief that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserved an equal opportunity” to join the labour movement – and he carried that principle into parliament.
Shorten announced his resignation with his wife, Chloe, and daughter, Clementine, at the press conference.
Immediately after the announcement, politicians from across the political arena, including Peter Dutton, lined up to wish Shorten well.
The chancellor of the University of Canberra, Lisa Paul, said Shorten was selected after an “exhaustive search and a rigorous merit-based selection process” and the university was “delighted” he had accepted the role.
First elected in 2007, Shorten was catapulted into the public arena the previous year during the Beaconsfield mine collapse rescue, when he was the secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union.
Shorten rose to the Labor leadership by 2013 and gave the former Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull an electoral scare in 2016 – taking 14 seats from the Coalition. The result led to high expectations that Shorten would lead Labor to a win in 2019 but by then Shorten’s popularity as leader had fallen and he lost to Scott Morrison.
Shorten maintained influence within the Labor caucus, but the change in leadership to Albanese after the 2019 election loss also saw power move from the Labor right to the party’s left.
He led the charge against the Coalition’s robodebt policy from opposition – an issue he continued campaigning on while in government.
Albanese said Shorten had taken over the Labor party “in the wake of a demoralising 2013 defeat” and rebuilt the movement after the Rudd-Gillard years.
“He united the party, re-energised the caucus and saw off [outlasted] two prime ministers and rebuilt Labor into a strong opposition and a genuine alternative government,” Albanese said.
“Through his years as leader, no one worked harder than Bill. No one brought more energy, enthusiasm, ideas and ambition to advocating the need for a Labor government.
“It is a measure of Bill’s character that he channelled the disappointment of 2019 into fighting for justice for the victims of robodebt. His work made our government stronger.”
Shorten’s colleagues had been expecting an announcement for some time, but were unsure of the timing. Shorten had reportedly been offered ambassador roles by Albanese earlier in the year but decided to refocus his career domestically.
Albanese would not confirm whether there would be a small gap between February –when Shorten would depart politics – and the next general election which has to be held by May 2025. The PM said there was “some precedent for there being a gap for a short period of time”.
“[February] happens to be when the academic year starts so I think it would have been unreasonable to say to Minister Shorten, ‘It is terrific you have this opportunity, but can you just chill out for another year,’” Albanese said.
