Candidate toes line on terror: Shorten

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has played down concerns one of his Labor candidates opposes tough national security legislation.

Peta Murphy, the candidate for the southeastern Melbourne seat of Dunkley, was a member of lawyers group Liberty Victoria which campaigned in 2009 against ASIO and police powers to detain suspects without charge.

Liberty Victoria also disagreed with the statement that a government's greatest responsibility was to keep its citizens safe.

Mr Shorten is standing by Ms Murphy, instead opting to distance her from the Liberty campaign.

"The comments that have been attributed to her were several years ago and it was in a cover letter from an organisation that she was a member of," Mr Shorten said.

Ms Murphy insists she is committed to toeing the Labor party line on this issue.

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said it was "clear her position is one of wanting to take a weak approach when it comes to national security issues".

"We need tough border protection policies to keep our communities safe, but we also need strong national security laws," he told reporters in Brisbane.

"It is clear that the Dunkley Labor candidate is opposed to these tough laws."