
Decision Maker
Bill Shorten
- Shadow Minister for the NDIS and Government Services

Decision Maker
Bill Shorten
- Shadow Minister for the NDIS and Government Services

Dear signers, Like you, I signed up to the Change.org petition to end the ivory trade in Australia. And I’ve got some good news for you. On the weekend, I announced that if Labor wins the federal election next month, we will ban the trade of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn in Australia. To be honest, I didn’t know too much about this issue until late last year. My Labor colleague, Senator Lisa Singh from Tasmania, was holding a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s domestic ivory trade, and taught me a lot about it. Elephant and rhino populations in Africa and Asia are continuing to decline and elephants and rhinos continue to be targeted for their ivory and horn. In fact, in the six months during which Lisa’s inquiry took place last year, 10,000 elephants were killed across the African continent, and in South Africa alone, approximately 528 rhinos were killed. I was shocked to learn that Australia’s domestic market is unregulated, and there’s nothing to stop people buying and selling products containing ivory and rhino horn if they manage to get them into the country. While the poaching of elephants and rhinos might not be a direct issue in Australia, the trade of products containing ivory and rhino horn certainly is. That makes us part of the problem. This has to change, and I’m determined to change it. As we’ve been working on our policy in the last few months, I’ve watched this petition grow to incredible numbers. I’m pleased so many of us want this practice to end, and I’m pleased Labor is going to do something about it. This a complex area, and it will require us to work with state and territory governments to fix their legislation too. But put simply, there are two things we will do to put an end to this. 1. Develop model legislation to be adopted across the country that makes the trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn illegal. 2. Introduce penalties and new offences for people and companies who try to get around the ban. This will end the trade in Australia, but it will also help the international efforts to save these iconic species for future generations, before it is too late. Thanks for caring about this issue and signing up to support and end to the ivory trade. I know it’s sometimes hard to know what you’re doing is really making a difference. But I want you to know that we’re paying attention, and you have made a difference. Bill P.S – shout-out to Bee Elle for starting this petition and getting 233,000 other people to join her!
Dear signers, Like you, I signed up to the Change.org petition to end the ivory trade in Australia. And I’ve got some good news for you. On the weekend, I announced that if Labor wins the federal election next month, we will ban the trade of elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn in Australia. To be honest, I didn’t know too much about this issue until late last year. My Labor colleague, Senator Lisa Singh from Tasmania, was holding a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s domestic ivory trade, and taught me a lot about it. Elephant and rhino populations in Africa and Asia are continuing to decline and elephants and rhinos continue to be targeted for their ivory and horn. In fact, in the six months during which Lisa’s inquiry took place last year, 10,000 elephants were killed across the African continent, and in South Africa alone, approximately 528 rhinos were killed. I was shocked to learn that Australia’s domestic market is unregulated, and there’s nothing to stop people buying and selling products containing ivory and rhino horn if they manage to get them into the country. While the poaching of elephants and rhinos might not be a direct issue in Australia, the trade of products containing ivory and rhino horn certainly is. That makes us part of the problem. This has to change, and I’m determined to change it. As we’ve been working on our policy in the last few months, I’ve watched this petition grow to incredible numbers. I’m pleased so many of us want this practice to end, and I’m pleased Labor is going to do something about it. This a complex area, and it will require us to work with state and territory governments to fix their legislation too. But put simply, there are two things we will do to put an end to this. 1. Develop model legislation to be adopted across the country that makes the trade in elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn illegal. 2. Introduce penalties and new offences for people and companies who try to get around the ban. This will end the trade in Australia, but it will also help the international efforts to save these iconic species for future generations, before it is too late. Thanks for caring about this issue and signing up to support and end to the ivory trade. I know it’s sometimes hard to know what you’re doing is really making a difference. But I want you to know that we’re paying attention, and you have made a difference. Bill P.S – shout-out to Bee Elle for starting this petition and getting 233,000 other people to join her!


Gday Graeme, and the 82,000 Australians who have signed your petition calling for an federal ICAC. Graeme, you start your petition by saying “I am so so sick of it.” You talk about former Health Minister Susan Ley’s trips to the gold coast, and Julie Bishop’s expenses for polo matches. Well, I’m sick of it too. To have Government Ministers misusing public funds is appalling, especially while they’re demanding families cop cuts to medicare, school funding, and family payments. I hear you, and I write to say that today, Labor is taking action. I’ve just returned from the Parliament chamber, where I introduced a Private Member’s Bill and spoke about Labor’s plan for reform. You call for a Federal ICAC. Labor has moved to establish a senate inquiry to take a look at exactly that. My speech here lays out our plan: https://www.facebook.com/BillShorten/videos/1229713263731899/ Keep in touch on Facebook so I can keep you updated on our progress. One question you might have is “why start with a committee?” Why not just introduce an ICAC right now? Well, we want to make sure this is done right. We want to look at how the state ICACs are running, what lessons we can learn from them, and whether it’s better to introduce a new body or change existing laws. It’s important to get this right, and a committee inquiry is the parliamentary process to do that. The Senate inquiry Labor has moved to establish will accept public submissions. Your advocacy is important to that process, and I’ll let you know on Facebook when that’s open. Keep up the good work. Bill Shorten, Leader of the Opposition.
Gday Graeme, and the 82,000 Australians who have signed your petition calling for an federal ICAC. Graeme, you start your petition by saying “I am so so sick of it.” You talk about former Health Minister Susan Ley’s trips to the gold coast, and Julie Bishop’s expenses for polo matches. Well, I’m sick of it too. To have Government Ministers misusing public funds is appalling, especially while they’re demanding families cop cuts to medicare, school funding, and family payments. I hear you, and I write to say that today, Labor is taking action. I’ve just returned from the Parliament chamber, where I introduced a Private Member’s Bill and spoke about Labor’s plan for reform. You call for a Federal ICAC. Labor has moved to establish a senate inquiry to take a look at exactly that. My speech here lays out our plan: https://www.facebook.com/BillShorten/videos/1229713263731899/ Keep in touch on Facebook so I can keep you updated on our progress. One question you might have is “why start with a committee?” Why not just introduce an ICAC right now? Well, we want to make sure this is done right. We want to look at how the state ICACs are running, what lessons we can learn from them, and whether it’s better to introduce a new body or change existing laws. It’s important to get this right, and a committee inquiry is the parliamentary process to do that. The Senate inquiry Labor has moved to establish will accept public submissions. Your advocacy is important to that process, and I’ll let you know on Facebook when that’s open. Keep up the good work. Bill Shorten, Leader of the Opposition.


Every child deserves to be safe. Carly's story is heart-breaking, a tragedy we must ensure never happens again. I will ask my Shadow Cabinet to support Carly's Law.
Every child deserves to be safe. Carly's story is heart-breaking, a tragedy we must ensure never happens again. I will ask my Shadow Cabinet to support Carly's Law.

Thank you for making your voice heard on this important issue. A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Malcolm Turnbull's cuts to bulk billing incentives for pathology and diagnostic imaging, to make sure all Australians have access to affordable and universal healthcare. Pathology and diagnostic imaging are integral parts of our health system. The Liberals' $650m cuts will mean new out-of-pocket costs for x-rays, blood tests, pap smears. These are the scans for vulnerable Australians: $100 for a mammogram; $300 in diagnosis costs for a woman fighting breast cancer; over $1000 for an Aussie dealing with melanoma. Labor will oppose Mr Turnbull’s cuts to Medicare which will reduce bulk billing and make pap smears, CAT scans, Xrays and medicines cost more. Mr Turnbull's cut came in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the former Labor Government’s incentives are achieving their aim of maintaining or increasing bulk billing. In diagnostic imaging, for example, bulk billing rates rose 10 points in just six years thanks to Labor's measure. Labor's measure gives pathologists and radiologists a specific incentive to bulk bill. Without it, bulk billing will fall, co-payments will rise, and the cost of tests and scans will go up. I'm worried some patients will end up skipping them altogether. This would mean worse health outcomes for patients and higher costs to our health system. It is vital that patients are not turned away from care because of their ability to pay. A Labor Government will reverse them, so vote Labor on July 2 to protect Medicare. Thank you, Bill Shorten MP
Thank you for making your voice heard on this important issue. A Shorten Labor Government will reverse Malcolm Turnbull's cuts to bulk billing incentives for pathology and diagnostic imaging, to make sure all Australians have access to affordable and universal healthcare. Pathology and diagnostic imaging are integral parts of our health system. The Liberals' $650m cuts will mean new out-of-pocket costs for x-rays, blood tests, pap smears. These are the scans for vulnerable Australians: $100 for a mammogram; $300 in diagnosis costs for a woman fighting breast cancer; over $1000 for an Aussie dealing with melanoma. Labor will oppose Mr Turnbull’s cuts to Medicare which will reduce bulk billing and make pap smears, CAT scans, Xrays and medicines cost more. Mr Turnbull's cut came in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the former Labor Government’s incentives are achieving their aim of maintaining or increasing bulk billing. In diagnostic imaging, for example, bulk billing rates rose 10 points in just six years thanks to Labor's measure. Labor's measure gives pathologists and radiologists a specific incentive to bulk bill. Without it, bulk billing will fall, co-payments will rise, and the cost of tests and scans will go up. I'm worried some patients will end up skipping them altogether. This would mean worse health outcomes for patients and higher costs to our health system. It is vital that patients are not turned away from care because of their ability to pay. A Labor Government will reverse them, so vote Labor on July 2 to protect Medicare. Thank you, Bill Shorten MP