Sam Dastyari rubbed his eyes and choked back tears as he described the damage his dealings with Chinese political donors has had on his young family.
But the emotion had drained from his voice by the time he was hauled before the Senate again hours later to deliver a second statement.
The excitable Labor senator for NSW usually seeks out the spotlight - but not on Thursday.
Dastyari sat slumped in his Senate chair on Thursday morning as some colleagues huddled around him and those opposite muttered jibes across the chamber.
Standing sullenly after the morning prayers, he tugged at his tie and glared briefly at press gallery photographers working in overdrive above.
"I rise to make a short statement," Dastyari told parliament, which fell to pin-drop silence.
Hours earlier, he was forced to resign from senior party positions - for the second time - over comments made at a June 2016 press conference contradicting Labor policy on the South China Sea.
Dastyari had previously said he had only "incorrectly" mumbled an answer backing Beijing's controversial policy when asked by Chinese reporters.
The embattled Labor senator was forced to walk the plank again after audio emerged which completely jarred with his characterisation of the press conference.
"A recent audio recording shocked me, as it did not match my recollection of events," Dastyari told the chamber.
"When a public official makes a statement that contradicts events, there are consequences."
Those consequences extended to his wife and two children, who had also been thrust into the spotlight.
"Hannah is now six and has to answer questions in the playground. That breaks the heart of any father," Dastyari said through tears.
"I always intend to put the party first and do not want to be a distraction. I will continue to work as I always have done for the people of New South Wales."
Dastyari vacated the chamber by the time Attorney-General George Brandis said it was "pathetically weak" for Mr Shorten to give him another "summer sabbatical" to overcome his latest embarrassment.
And he stayed well away as Liberal senator Ian Macdonald accused him of using his children in a "coward's defence", while One Nation leader Pauline Hanson derided his "crocodile tears".
Outside in the prime minister's courtyard, Malcolm Turnbull was also going on the attack.
The PM demanded Dastyari leave parliament over what he called "disloyal conduct of the highest order".
"If he refuses to resign, Shorten should dump him from the Labor Party and let him languish in contempt on the crossbench," he told reporters.
Many miles away, Bill Shorten was cutting Dastyari adrift, admitting he had lost faith in his beleaguered backbencher.
"That is why I have sacked him again," Shorten said in Adelaide. "He has a long, long journey to rebuild trust."
The Senate later passed a motion forcing Dastyari to return and offer a longer explanation. He fronted up after Question Time but covered little new ground.
And as senators voted against debating his second offering, all that was left for Dastyari to do was tuck the speech under his arm and depart the chamber again.
