Perspective: Bill Shorten is warm and friendly when he strikes up conversations yet at the same time, the small talk is often awkward | ellinghausen
A scrum of television cameras on a public street always attracts curious onlookers.
I once asked a cameraman what he says when people ask who he's waiting for. He's upfront in telling them it's Bill Shorten."Aren't you afraid they might turn out to be a protester?" I replied. He casually shot back: "Nah, they usually follow up asking who is Bill Shorten?" It surprises me how often people seem only vaguely aware of who Shorten is, despite serving for a near-record six years as opposition leader.He's always in a hurry to meet as many people as he can, often speaking with the next person in line before even finishing the handshake with the one before.He's warm and friendly when he strikes up conversations yet at the same time, the small talk is often awkward.
His running style defies the laws of physics. He doesn't have the stride or build of a natural athlete yet he's an extremely competent endurance runner. You might be his running mate but he'll sprint off without you on the last 200 metres - a nod to his competitive nature. He's not trying to beat you, he's trying beat his own personal best.Bill Shorten during a morning walk in his Melbourne neighbourhood with bulldog Theo.
The mood at Shorten's election-night party in Melbourne's Essendon Fields started with optimism. Cheers rippled across the room as former prime minister Tony Abbott's Sydney seat of Warringah fell to independent Zali Steggall.
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