Labor applauds PM promotion of women

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten welcomes the recent promotion of women into the Liberal Party cabinet, but says his party already has a strong record.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten welcomes the promotion of women into the Liberal Party cabinet. (AAP)

Labor has applauded newly-installed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for promoting more women to his frontbench after taking over the nation's top job.

While taking a swipe at the former Abbott-government's record on women in cabinet, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the Liberal Party was finally catching up to his party on females in top positions.

"The Liberal Party has discovered there are women in politics, other than Julie Bishop," he told reporters in Casino on Saturday, adding Labor already had several women on the frontbench.