Federal Budget 2017: Bill Shorten’s wife Chloe removes dazzling necklace midway through reply speech

GLAMOROUS Chloe Shorten experienced a wardrobe malfunction after her dazzling necklace was conspicuously absent mid-way through Bill’s Budget reply speech tonight.

Chloe Shorten before Opposition leader Bill Shorten delivered his Budget reply speech. Picture Kym Smith

GLAMOROUS Chloe Shorten experienced a wardrobe malfunction after her dazzling necklace was conspicuously absent midway through Bill’s Budget reply speech tonight.

The unique three-layered choker sparkled throughout his speech but was noticeably absent once Mr Shorten finished, sparking conspiracy theories as to why she took it off.

When asked by the Herald Sun about why the necklace had been removed mid-speech, Mr Shorten’s office said the necklace clasp had broken.

Chloe Shorten before with the necklace on prior to removing it. Picture: Kym Smith

Chloe Shorten without the necklace House of Representatives Chamber, Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

During Mr Shorten’s Budget speech, he pledged to stand up for “working class” Australians and to increase taxes on the wealthy.

Labor has deliberately lifted the profile of the glamorous Mrs Shorten, a corporate affairs specialist, during the past 12 months.

She played a central role along Mr Shorten during last winter’s marathon election campaign.

The daughter of former governor-general, Dame Quentin Bryce, became an author this year when she published a book on her blended family.

But her appearance on the husting did not go without controversy, with it Labor revealed the party had used membership fees to splurge $60,000 on a stylist and new wardrobe for the pair.

Party chiefs confirmed the ALP paid for designer outfits for the mum of three to wear to official functions including campaign launches but have declined to reveal the cost.

It was reported there was a level of unease within the party about the bill, with fears it could be viewed as being out of touch for a working class party.

The vocal public gallery — almost all of them bussed in as young Labor or union member — last night cheered as Mr Shorten said the government had a “nerve” to talk about “fairness”: and “opportunity”.

“There’s nothing fair about making middle class and working class Australians pay more, while millionaires and multinationals pay less,” he said.

“There’s nothing fair about a $65 billion giveaway for big business,”

Mr Shorten said the Turnbull Government’s Budget did “nothing for families’ cost of living”.

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