Day 28: Labor leader tearfully derides a Daily Telegraph story that attacked him for being ‘loose on detail’ over story about his mother

In a nutshell

Mum was the word today. In one of the most compelling moments of the election campaign so far – and indeed, one of the most authentic of recent political memory – Bill Shorten spoke about his late mother, Ann, and her experience becoming a barrister in her 50s.

He did so in response to a grubby story in News Corp’s Daily Telegraph on Wednesday morning that attacked the opposition leader for allegedly being “loose on detail” when he told a story about his working-class mother on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday night.

A tearful Shorten derided the Tele’s story as “gotcha shit” and spoke at length about his mother’s experience of going to university in her 40s to realise a thwarted dream to become a barrister. He has often spoken of his mother as a key influence in his life, saying she was “brilliant and clever”, but was forced to accept a teaching scholarship because she could not afford to go to university.

Shorten had recounted her experience to explain his motivation for public life, saying he was driven to ensure that all Australians were given equality of opportunity.

But the emotional rebuttal also allowed him to talk more about two issues that resonate with many Australians – the struggle and sacrifice of working mothers, and the problem of age discrimination.

“I choose to give you that last bit of the battle of her time at the bar because my mum would want me to say to older women in Australia – that 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,” Shorten said at the press conference in Gilmore, on the NSW south coast.

“She’s brilliant. And that’s what drives me.”

The prime minister, Scott Morrison, who was campaigning in the Sydney seat of Reid, read the room correctly and came out in support of Shorten, saying he could understand why his opponent was upset by the story.

Elsewhere on the trail

In a debate in Adelaide, the Liberals’ Simon Birmingham and Labor’s Penny Wong went head to head, with the two clashing over China. After Paul Keating last week suggested anti-China “nutters” were in charge of Australia’s security agencies, Birmingham took aim at Labor for having many pro-Beijing advocates within its party, pointing to Bob Carr as a prominent example. Wong, who is in line to become Labor’s foreign affairs minister, was not impressed with the observation and refused to shake his hand at the conclusion of the debate.

Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) Tense moment between @SenatorWong and @Birmo at the SA debate. Birmingham says Keating's China comments show Labor lacks consistency on the issue. Wong is fuming, accuses Birmingham of politicising foreign policy. Refuses his offer of a handshake at end of the debate. pic.twitter.com/Fj7P1m34fC

The big picture

It was raw, it was real, it was heartfelt – everything you don’t normally see in a politician’s press conference.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Bill Shorten speaks to the media about his late mother during a visit to Grand Pacific Health in Nowra. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Required reading

Given today has been all about Bill, this profile from Katharine Murphy that delves into the motivation of the leader and looks at the shape of a Shorten prime-ministership is well worth a read. And this piece from David Crowe, for the artist formerly known as Fairfax, explains why the Shorten moment mattered. Elsewhere, Pat Dodson, who would be indigenous affairs minister in a Shorten cabinet, has spoken to Lorena Allam about the job ahead if he joins the government benches. And the intrepid Paul Karp has been on the road in Gilmore, where everyone has a grievance to share.

Tweet of the day

The furore over the Daily Telegraphs hit piece prompted Twitter users to share stories of their own mothers’ struggles, with the hashtag #MyMum.

Juanita Phillips (@Juanita_Phillip) My mum spent her adult life uneducated, doing housework and raising children. Managed to leave the house one night a week in her 40s to learn Esperanto, and ended up being an award-winning poet and translator. #loveourmums

What next?

The two leaders will go head-to-head tonight at the National Press Club for the third and final debate before the 18 May poll. Tomorrow the campaign powers on, with Bill Shorten heading to Queensland and Morrison heading north.