2 days Ago By Olivia Ireland
Outgoing Labor minister Bill Shorten was not alone in spinning for the government in his media rounds on Thursday morning. Clementine Shorten, 14, joined her father to defend Labor’s social media ban for young people before the NDIS minister delivers his valedictory speech to the House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon. Bill Shorten with his wife Chloe and daughter Clementine at Parliament House in September.
Credit: AAP Sharing the stage on breakfast television, Clementine had an instant answer when asked if she had considered a career in politics. “I’ve been in politics since I was born. I haven’t missed an event, at campaign trails since before I was one, but maybe if I did go into politics, I’d make a minister for children,” she said on Today as the elder Shorten beamed.
This November sitting fortnight will be Shorten’s last. The NDIS minister announced his retirement in September after 17 years in parliament to take up a $1 million vice-chancellor position at the University of Canberra in February. Bill Shorten was known for his zingers in political life , but his 14-year-old daughter came up with her own when asked about the government’s plan to ban people under 16 from using social media.
Bill Shorten appears on Nine’s Today with his daughter Clementine Shorten. Credit: Nine “I’m not thrilled with the idea,” Clementine began on Radio National, before pivoting to support the policy that she will just be old enough to avoid when it comes into effect. “I think something had to be done, because there’s just too much that people get away with on the internet and the big tech companies, they need to get sent a message that they can’t just have all these lax regulations.
” Host Patricia Karvelas told her listeners that speaking to a national audience was difficult for a young person. But, she said, Clementine “was a natural”. Shorten said his valedictory speech later in the day would be one of gratitude.
“None of us who serve in the parliament of Australia get there by ourselves, so [there will be] a lot of thank yous,” he said. “I’m excited, though I’ve mixed feeling about going, I love my job, I love my electorate, I love helping people ..
. but I’m excited about moving to education to make sure that the University of Canberra and higher education gets the support it deserves.” Despite his upcoming job in the university sector, Shorten said he supported Labor’s proposed international student caps and criticised the Coalition for blocking the bill.
The University of Canberra is considered a regional university, meaning under the proposed student caps it would not suffer a significant loss of students. The latest data from the Department of Education shows that the university had 1422 international students in 2023, and faces an indicative 2025 cap of 1500. This masthead reported on Wednesday that opposition education spokeswoman Sarah Henderson headlined an event for student visa agents before her party torpedoed the migration bill.
“What they did this week was so oxygen stealing-ly dumb that I need an oxygen tank but because of what I’ve read in today’s papers, maybe they weren’t dumb, maybe they were just being greedy,” Shorten said. Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter .
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