Bill Shorten cops it over open letter to his daughters

He has been criticised for his backflip on a plebiscite into marriage equality in Australia, but Bill Shorten won a few brownie points within his own family yesterday.

The Opposition Leader sat down and wrote a heartfelt note to his daughter Clementine and stepdaughter Georgette, who are 6 and 13 respectively, in recognition of the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl.

Top dad points to @billshortenmp – beautiful letter to the girls on #InternationalDayOfTheGirlChild pic.twitter.com/94nS9iHB0V

— Chloe Shorten (@chloeshorten) October 11, 2016

Addressed “to my beautiful daughters Georgette and Clementine”, Shorten writes about how proud he is of them and of his wishes for their future. (We’re willing to overlook the inaccuracies in grammar if you are.)

“Gigi, its [sic] a pleasure watching you grow into a smart and confident woman,” he writes.

“Clemmie, your clever and constantly questioning nature never ceases to amaze me.”

He went on to say that the reason he goes to work each day is because of them, as well as the reason he is away from home so regularly, inserting a sad face to express his regret. We think…

Shorten writes about his hopes for the future for girls everywhere around the world include equal representation in leadership positions, recognition for unpaid work, equal pay, safety for women, and a love of learning.

Unfortunately, Shorten’s heartfelt note — shared by his wife, Chloe, on both her Instagram and Twitter accounts — was overshadowed by his announcement that the Labor party would be blocking the Government’s proposal to have a plebiscite on gay marriage.

What do you think of Bill Shorten’s letter to his daughters? What would you say to the girls in your life?