New-look Bill’s day ends in a tie

Bill Shorten stumbled as he asked his first question at the dispatch box in 117 days.

Former leader of the opposition Bill Shorten listens as Labor member for Gilmore Fiona Phillips makes her maiden speech in the House of Representatives yesterday. Picture: AAP

Bill Shorten stumbled as he asked his first question in 117 days since he last stood at the dispatch box as opposition leader.

Nerves had the better of him on this, the day of his two-tie relaunch into federal politics.

While successor Anthony Albanese was busy complaining to the partyroom about the Greens and warning colleagues Labor may be forced to vote for legislation it didn’t fully agree with, the Shorten rebrand was under way.

The member for Maribyrnong donned a blue tie with small white dots for his first post-election interview.

Shorten breaks silence on ‘disappointing’ loss

But when the ABC didn’t stick to his preferred script, Shorten turned stubborn.

Asked whether he took responsibility for the loss, he replied: “That’s why I stood down, absolutely. You have to take some responsibility. But I came down here to talk about robo-debt. I’d appreciate several questions.”

Shorten was interrupted by ABC journalist Andrew Probyn, who valiantly made another attempt: “Do you acknowledge there is a difference between the merit of policies that you took to the election and perhaps the mistakes made in the messaging?”

“Oh, listen,” Shorten replied. “I think you are a formidable interviewer. What I am not going to do is pre-empt the (Labor election) review.”

Probyn sighed.

Shorten did suggest it was “very disappointing for the nation” that he didn’t win — a sentiment Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack disputed during his question time Dorothy Dixer about how the government is “on the side of our local communities”.

“The Labor candidate accused (Immigration Minister David Coleman) of being the minister for roundabouts,” McCormack exclaimed.

“I would take that as a compliment! While the warriors from Newtown and Marrickville sat … about quaffing their piccolos, the (Riverwood) locals were expressing their appreciation with a massive increase in the vote.”

But after a tie change, Shorten had a win. Sporting a shiny navy-and-pink striped number, he asked a string of robo-debt questions to perpetually scandal-adjacent Government Services Minister Stuart Robert, who eventually apologised for his department badgering a mother over a $6700 disability pension debt Centrelink claimed her dead son owed.

Robert is next in Labor’s firing line after Albanese bragged yesterday about frustrated Energy Minister Angus Taylor: “We targeted one of the slowest members of the herd and he has been exposed.”

While Shorten plans to stick around, for now at least, the time has come for Victorian Liberal senator Mitch Fifield, the 487th senator since Federation, to say goodbye to Canberra.

In a rousing final speech, Fifield recalled expelling Joe Hockey from the Sydney University Liberal Club in 1985 and successfully agitating for John Howard to legislate voluntary student unionism.

The former communications and arts minister also divulged this exchange with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann earlier this year.

“To give an example of how seriously I took my support for Australian music, let me breach cabinet confidentiality for a moment,” Fifield said. “When I was taking Ita Buttrose forward to cabinet as ABC chair, I concluded by saying: ‘Colleagues, you should know that Ita also enjoys the strong support of Jimmy Barnes and Cold Chisel.’

“Mathias said, ‘I don’t understand. What do you mean?’ I responded, ‘OK, for the recent arrivals …’ And I proceeded to sing to cabinet the Cold Chisel tribute song Ita.”

“Do it! Encore!” colleagues demanded. And “Mitch with the Perfect Pitch” relented.

“Ita’s tongue never touches her lips,” he sang to thunderous applause.

The first minister since Federation to sing in support of their cabinet submission. Your move, Paul Fletcher!