By chief political correspondent Emma Griffiths

Photo: Opposition Leader: Former union official Bill Shorten is now federal Labor leader. (AAP: David Crosling)

Bill Shorten's election as leader of the ALP fulfils a long-held ambition for the former union chief.

A member of the Labor Party since high school, he has been touted as a future leader by luminaries such as Bob Hawke, Simon Crean and Kim Beazley.

Indeed, it is said that he has always held that belief himself.

Mr Shorten rose through the union ranks to become national secretary of the Australian Workers Union from 2001 to 2007.

His public profile was boosted during the 2006 Beaconsfield mine disaster, when two miners were trapped a kilometre underground for two weeks.

Bill Shorten's career

• Rose through Australian Workers Union (AWU) ranks to become national secretary in 2001.
• Shorten was the public face of the 2006 Beaconsfield mine disaster as de facto spokesman for families and the community.
• Left the AWU executive and was elected to Federal Parliament in 2007 as the member for Maribyrnong.
• Was Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities, Children's Services and Victorian Bushfire reconstruction.
• Promoted into Labor Ministry in 2010 and into Cabinet in 2011 as Workplace Relations Minister.
• Took on responsibilities as Education Minister after Kevin Rudd's return as PM in 2013.

The drama dominated news bulletins and Bill Shorten, as secretary of the union, became the de facto spokesman for the families and the community.

The next year he entered Federal Parliament, winning the safe Labor seat of Maribyrnong in outer Melbourne.

Ever since, he has been a significant political player - a 'star' MP.

There was to be no sitting on the backbench for this right-wing factional leader.

He was immediately given a position in Kevin Rudd's outer ministry as Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services.

In that role, Shorten became one of the driving forces behind the national disability insurance scheme, a bipartisan reform that is now rolling out in test sites across Australia.

In Labor's years in government, he was elevated to Assistant Treasurer before entering Cabinet as Minister for Workplace Relations and then Education Minister.

Photo: Entering politics: Former PM Kevin Rudd watches on as Bill Shorten is sworn in at Government House in 2007. (Alan Porritt: AAP)

Shorten begins new role as Labor leader

Photo: Bill Shorten defeated Anthony Albanese in the leadership ballot to become Labor leader. (Twitter: Bill Shorten)

So he now begins a very different chapter in his political life: his first experience in opposition will be as party leader taking on a Prime Minister who has led the Coalition to a thumping victory.

In Labor's first foray into opening up the leadership process, Bill Shorten's pitch to party rank and file trumpeted his focus on issues such as domestic violence, equal opportunity at work and the "increasing diversity of families" in Australia.

He is a father of three and a stepfather; he is married to Chloe Bryce, the daughter of the Governor-General.

To party members Mr Shorten sold himself as having "devoted his entire adult life to serving the labour movement".

But, what may have been a winning argument within his own party, will only be more ammunition for the Coalition Government.

However he may want to sell himself, the perception of Bill Shorten is that his political life is steeped in the backroom of the Labor factions.

And his factional manoeuvrings have been key to the very thing that arguably led to Labor's downfall - the chaos surrounding the leadership and the sudden change in prime ministers.

He was one of the main powerbrokers behind the ousting of Kevin Rudd in 2010 - earning Bill Shorten the damning label of "prime ministerial assassin".

Photo: Bill Shorten switched his support from Julia Gillard to Kevin Rudd before the 2013 federal election. (AAP: David Crosling)

Three years later the assassin struck again, when he abandoned Julia Gillard to back Mr Rudd.

It can be expected that will remain a key line of attack from Abbott's lieutenants, who are already well practiced in calling the new Opposition leader a "faceless man".

He now has the chance to overcome that image; indeed it will be one of his greatest challenges.

And he will have to do that to fulfil what is perhaps his only great ambition left - to be Australia's next Labor Prime Minister.

Who is new ALP leader Bill Shorten? - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)