Punch Breaking View: What's up with Bill Shorten?

Shorten accuses PM Abbott of lying

Opposition leader Bill Shorten accuses PM Tony Abbott of lying about the Gonski school funding in Question Time.

MOVING out of government has changed Bill Shorten in the eyes of many who have been evaluating the man whose first job in Opposition has been to lead it.

"Timid. That's the word,'' said a major industry figure after an encounter with Shorten.

Two things should be stressed:

1 - There is no talk of a leadership challenge. Labor has tried that; 2 - There is a long way to go and Mr Shorten has plenty of time to get into a gallop.

Bill Shorten, like many in politics, could be in need of a break, writes Malcolm Farr.

However, it is striking to many that the aggressive, detail-driven, slick-speaking AWU leader and minister has been replaced by a flat, uninteresting, unadventurous Opposition Leader.

Mr Shorten so far has proved to be the most cautious Labor leader for decades, certainly when placed against the hyperactive precedents set by Kevin Rudd and Mark Latham.

In Parliament his speeches at critical time, such as moving formal attacks on the policies of the Tony Abbott government, have lacked punch. His back-up man, Labor front bencher Tony Burke, has unintentionally out-shone him on occasion.

Nielsen polling found Mr Shorten's rating as Opposition Leader was 51 per cent, but there was a significant 19 per cent who had no opinion. A Newspoll survey conducted November 8-10 found Mr Shorten had a 37 per cent support rating as Opposition Leader, but 39 per cent were uncommitted.

There is a valid argument that after a painful year including an election campaign followed by a Labor leadership campaign, followed by the consolation prize of sitting on the Opposition benches with a small bunch of colleagues facing rampant, packed government benches, a man might feel drained.

Mr Shorten, like many in politics, could be in need of a break.

But not just yet. Prime Minister Abbott has switched strategies from "methodical'' to "belligerent''.

The Government is tired of being a punching bag and is allocating efforts to fighting back. It's an acceptance that to win in the electorate you have to win in the Parliament.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne has shown precisely how not to do this, but Tony Abbott has cottoned on and is finding it easy to fend off Mr Shorten.

The House of Representatives has only next week before ending the year, and the Government can expect to exit 2013 on a high while Mr Shorten will have have to aim for a stronger 2014.