Former Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten to visit Coffs Coffs Coast by News Of The Area - Modern Media - November 11, 2021 Former Australian Opposition Leader and AWU National Secretary the Hon Bill Shorten MP will visit Coffs Harbour next week. Photo: Australian Labor Party. FORMER Federal Opposition Leader and Leader of the Labor Party, the Hon Bill Shorten MP, will visit Coffs Harbour next week. The MP’s quick visit to the city was announced on Monday by the Cowper Federal Electoral Council of the Australian Labor Party. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au Mr Shorten is the Shadow Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and Shadow Minister for Government Services. As Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities he was a key architect of the world-first NDIS, designed to ensure an ordinary life for Australians living with disabilities and to make their lives more comfortable. Mr Shorten joined the union movement in 1994 when he began work at the Australian Workers’ Union as an organiser. Passionate about getting a fair deal for Australian workers, Bill became the AWU’s Victorian Secretary and then National Secretary. He entered parliament in 2007 when he was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Maribyrnong, and was a Cabinet Minister in the Gillard and Rudd Governments from 2010 to 2013. Mr Shorten served as Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Labor Party from 2013 to 2019. He will fly into Coffs Harbour on Thursday 18 November and meet with NDIS clients and Labor Party members at the Chill ‘n’ Chat Café at Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre at 22 Earl Street, Coffs Harbour (behind Coles) at 3.30 pm that day. He will also be meeting with NDIS management at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery on Friday 19 November from 10.30am to 2pm. Members of the public are invited to attend either of these functions next week for a discussion about the NDIS with Mr Shorten. There will be a Gallery entry fee of $10 to attend the Friday event. By Emma DARBIN