Shorten dodges leadership questions

Bill Shorten has dismissed questions about a potential Labor leadership challenge as unfair.

Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten

Bill Shorten has dismissed questions about a potential Labor leadership challenge as unfair. (AAP)

Bill Shorten has refused to answer the question of whether he'll stick around as Labor leader if he loses on Saturday.

Speculation is growing that popular frontbencher Anthony Albanese could mount a leadership challenge if Mr Shorten does poorly at the election.

Mr Shorten dismissed questions about a potential challenge as unfair when asked by the ABC's 7.30 Report on Thursday night.

Labor deserved respect for the unity it had displayed over the past three years, he said.

"If you want to look at leadership tension, look no further than the Liberal Party.

"Nine months ago if you had been interviewing the Liberal prime minister, it would have been Tony Abbott."

Asked whether he'd remain as opposition leader for another three years, he insisted he was still in it to win it this time around and sought to bring the conversation back to his opponent.

"Have you asked Mr Turnbull if he will stick around if he loses the election?"

Mr Shorten was repeatedly asked to stop referring to his opponent instead of explaining his own policies during what was a tense interview.

He was also grilled about his tendency to "over-reach" with claims the coalition planned to privatise Medicare and introduce a 15 per cent GST when no such policies existed, as well as taking the prime minister's comments out of context to manipulate the meaning.

"I know it is in the DNA of the Liberals to go back to the 15 per cent GST if they are in power," he said.

"I have no doubt if the coalition had their way they would systematically undermine Medicare brick by brick and piece by piece."


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Source: AAP


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Shorten dodges leadership questions | SBS News