The political mood of Australians is reflected in Labor's win in the Batman by-election, Bill Shorten says.
The Labor leader has been buoyed by former union boss Ged Kearney's win on Saturday despite his party's loss in South Australia, bringing a 16-year reign to an end.
While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called the Liberal win an endorsement of the federal government's energy policy, Mr Shorten doesn't seem worried about what the result means for him or his party federally.
"I have heard very loudly the message of the voters of Batman and I think the voters of Batman reflected the mood of the nation," Mr Shorten said on Sunday afternoon.
"They are willing to give Labor a chance so long as we keep working on our policy agenda."
For Labor to have won a fifth term in South Australia would have been a big ask, but Jay Weatherill - premier since 2011 - came close, he said.
"I think he leaves South Australia better than when he found it and I think that South Australian Labor over the past 16 years have left it better than before they got elected," Mr Shorten said.
But Mr Turnbull suggested it was Mr Weatherill's position on the National Energy Guarantee that may have cost him the win.
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He said Mr Weatherill was a "ferocious" and most vocal opponent of the plan.
"Jay Weatherill said this was a referendum on energy policy," he said in Sydney.
"The people have spoken in favour of our policies which is to support affordable and reliable energy to ensure that we can meet our Paris commitment, and at the same time ensure we can keep the lights on and indeed afford to keep the lights on."
Labor's climate and energy spokesman Mark Butler played down that claim, saying it was the "time for change force" that proved too strong.
