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Shorten should lead Labor and restore brand: Kelty
Former ACTU boss Bill Kelty believes Bill Shorten should lead the Labor Party.
The labour movement luminary compared Mr Shorten with Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard - all leaders, in his view, who were prepared to ''get into the community and fight for their beliefs''.
Mr Kelty, a confidant of Mr Keating, broke a long public silence on the Labor leadership issue, telling Fairfax Media that Mr Shorten was the best hope the party had to restore its brand if the Gillard government lost the election in September.
''I'm not saying that Bill Shorten should replace anyone today but in the course of politics, I see him as the man most likely,'' Mr Kelty said.
'As to the current leadership, that's a matter for the Labor Party. In fact, the election is so close it's now a matter for the electorate to decide.''
Mr Kelty, who presided over the Australian union movement for 17 years and is credited as the architect of the modern superannuation system, named Mr Shorten, a former head of the Australian Workers Union, above Greg Combet, the Climate Change Minister, as a potential leader. Mr Combet succeeded Mr Kelty as ACTU president in 2000.
He also said Jason Clare, the Home Affairs and Justice Minister, was a potential prime minister if given a decade.
On Mr Shorten, he said: ''He's a campaigner and and he listens to people. The National Disability Insurance Scheme owes its origins, its strategy and achievements to this point to Bill Shorten. He took it from a marginal issue that was talked about to a reality and he deserves credit for that.''
Mr Kelty said Australian prime ministers should serve a ''generational apprenticeship'' like the leaders of the past.
Mr Shorten remained noticeably absent from the latest Gillard-Rudd leadership showdown after being criticised for his ''two phones and a Chinese restaurant'' performance in the 2010 coup against Kevin Rudd.
He recently told The Australian Financial Review he had no leadership ambitions ''at this point'' and fully supported Julia Gillard.
Former ACTU boss Bill Kelty believes Bill Shorten should lead the Labor Party.
The labour movement luminary compared Mr Shorten with Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard - all leaders, in his view, who were prepared to ''get into the community and fight for their beliefs''.
Mr Kelty, a confidant of Mr Keating, broke a long public silence on the Labor leadership issue, telling Fairfax Media that Mr Shorten was the best hope the party had to restore its brand if the Gillard government lost the election in September.
''I'm not saying that Bill Shorten should replace anyone today but in the course of politics, I see him as the man most likely,'' Mr Kelty said.
'As to the current leadership, that's a matter for the Labor Party. In fact, the election is so close it's now a matter for the electorate to decide.''
Mr Kelty, who presided over the Australian union movement for 17 years and is credited as the architect of the modern superannuation system, named Mr Shorten, a former head of the Australian Workers Union, above Greg Combet, the Climate Change Minister, as a potential leader. Mr Combet succeeded Mr Kelty as ACTU president in 2000.
He also said Jason Clare, the Home Affairs and Justice Minister, was a potential prime minister if given a decade.
On Mr Shorten, he said: ''He's a campaigner and and he listens to people. The National Disability Insurance Scheme owes its origins, its strategy and achievements to this point to Bill Shorten. He took it from a marginal issue that was talked about to a reality and he deserves credit for that.''
Mr Kelty said Australian prime ministers should serve a ''generational apprenticeship'' like the leaders of the past.
Mr Shorten remained noticeably absent from the latest Gillard-Rudd leadership showdown after being criticised for his ''two phones and a Chinese restaurant'' performance in the 2010 coup against Kevin Rudd.
He recently told The Australian Financial Review he had no leadership ambitions ''at this point'' and fully supported Julia Gillard.