Australia Decides: Bill Shorten stands by Anthony Albanese

Bill Shorten has stood up for Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese amid election campaign gaffes and has stood by Labor’s offshore detention policy.

Bill Shorten has stood by Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese telling reporters Labor is “in it to win it”.

While fronting press in Queanbeyan NSW alongside Eden-Monaro MP Kristy McBain, Mr Shorten was asked if he would make a bid for the Labor leadership in the case of a Labor loss at the polls next month.

Mr Shorten responded by saying Mr Albanese “leads a united team.”

 “I’m looking forward to being the NDIS Minister,” he said.

After being asked about Mr Albanese’s shaky election campaign which has been dotted with gaffes Mr Shorten turned to the Prime Minister’s record, digging up sore spots from Mr Morrison’s tenure.

Bill Shorten says Labor is “in it to win it”. Picture: Julia Kanapathippillai

“Labor is in it to win it,” he said.

“We’re competitive, election campaigns are a rollercoaster, you have good days and not so good days.

“Mr Morrison has had a shaky three years and the rollercoaster has been more down than up.

“It’s been shaky because Australians have seen our real wages fall, everything is going up except wages.

“Mr Morrison took a lackadaisical attitude to the vaccine roll out famously saying it was not a race.

“As Kristy (McBain) was fighting fires down on the coast Mr Morrison was in Hawaii saying he doesn’t hold a hose.

“Australians can’t afford another three years of the absentee landlordism which is this government.”

Bill Shorten has spoken in support of Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Toby Zerna

Mr Shorten was grilled on Labor's stance on offshore detention, and asked if his party was providing a true alternative for voters passionate about refugee rights.

“I don’t think it is compassionate to allow people smugglers to put vulnerable refugees on unsafe boats and risk losing their life sailing to Australia.

“We need to break the people smugglers model and that’s why I want to make sure the boats don’t start again, that we turn them around, and that we do all the things that have stopped people from losing their lives at sea.”

Mr Shorten however said he “accepts that we have to make sure that people who come to this country do so safely”.

“That doesn’t mean we get to vilify people wanting to come to this country.

“That doesn’t mean that this government hasn’t politicised this issue and demonised a vulnerable minority.

“Other than our First Nations people all of us came here from somewhere else … but I think it’s important that it’s done in a safe manner, not a reckless manner.”

When asked what a non-reckless manner would entail, Mr Shorten said it would include “making sure (immigrants) have proper agreed upon immigration programs which has a component of refugees, a component of family union and a component of skilled migration”.