Shorten rejects Greens push on power grid

An Australian Greens push to return the national electricity grid to public ownership, starting with interconnectors, has been labelled a stunt by Bill Shorten.

The minor party unveiled the policy push as it prepares to fight Labor in the upcoming by-election in the federal marginal Melbourne seat of Batman.

"This by-election, Labor needs to decide if they're for privatisation or against it," climate spokesman Adam Bandt said on Friday.

The Labor leader described the pitch by the Greens as a stunt.

"Let's be realistic - that's not going to happen," he told reporters in Melbourne.

But the opposition's candidate in Batman, ACTU president Ged Kearney admitted people are very concerned about power prices.

"I think there is an understanding that what happened back in the 80s with privatisation perhaps hasn't delivered the outcomes it should have had," she said.

But Ms Kearney warned re-nationalising the grid would be a big process to go through.

"Certainly it is worthy of consideration," she said.