WATCH: Bill Shorten in tears over ‘rubbish’ story about late mum
Bill Shorten has wept during an emotional press conference today, while responding to a newspaper article about his late mother he describes as ‘gotcha s***’ .
WATCH THE PRESS CONFERENCE BELOW
The Labor Party leader was incensed at suggestions he had buried his mum’s legal career in a description about her life on Monday night’s Q&A, where he talked of how her working class origins and gender had thwarted her career dreams.
‘I miss her every day. I’m glad she’s not here today to read that rubbish, absolute rubbish,’ he said.
Describing his mum Ann as the 'smartest woman I've ever known', Shorted railed against the newspaper article he described as a 'political hit'.
'So, I'd say to whoever thought they'd organised a political hit on me in the election, to cast some doubt, I can hear my mum now say, "Don't worry about that rubbish",' he said.
Shorten described in the press conference how although his mum had achieved her qualifications to be a barrister, she struggled to get the kind of work she deserved, because of apparent ageism and sexism.
'My mum would want me to say to older women in Australia, just because you've got grey hair, just because you didn't go to a special private school, just because you don't go to the right clubs, just because you're not part of some back-slapping boys' club, doesn't mean you should give up,' he told reporters.