Bring Abbott back into tent: Shorten

Bill Shorten says Malcolm Turnbull should extend an olive branch to Tony Abbott and promote him to cabinet.

Bill Shorten says Malcolm Turnbull should promote his predecessor Tony Abbott (pic) to cabinet. (AAP)

Labor leader Bill Shorten reckons Malcolm Turnbull should bring back his predecessor Tony Abbott to the cabinet.

"I know they don't like each other but in politics ... you don't have to be in love each other," he told radio 2SM's John Laws on Thursday.

"You just have to get along."

Calls for Mr Abbott's promotion were heightened earlier this week when one of his good friends, Catherine McGregor, urged the prime minister to give him responsibility for indigenous affairs to heal the rift between them.

The opposition leader said he knew what it was like when a government was more consumed with arguing amongst itself than getting on with the job.

"If it was me I would bring him into the tent."