Bill Shorten wants to develop a national rehabilitation strategy to ensure injured workers and people on disability pensions can get back to work.
Mr Shorten says if he becomes Labor's federal leader next Sunday he will develop a national rehabilitation strategy to get injured workers and pensioners back into work.
"This is not about punitive measures, nor attacking benefits but a view that people should not be left behind and discarded," Mr Shorten said in a statement on Monday.
"Too many people with an impairment, a mental illness or a permanent workplace injury are put in the too hard basket - Australians who simply want a second chance to participate more in our community."
He and former Labor deputy leader Anthony Albanese are campaigning to become ALP parliamentary leader and the results of a members ballot and caucus vote will be revealed next Sunday.
Mr Shorten said his rehabilitation strategy could incorporate Return to Work Brokers to better manage return to work for injured workers, keep costs low for employers and to make sure insurance companies support an injured worker's return to meaningful, paid employment.
He said it would require bipartisan work with state governments and all stakeholders including medical professionals and the business community.
Work related injury and illness were estimated to cost Australia $60.6 billion in 2008-2009, or 4.8 per cent of gross domestic product.
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