MP gaffes put Shorten, Turnbull on spot

Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten have been grilled over frontbencher gaffes as they sought to put jobs on the election agenda.

The prime minister stood by his Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who warned that thousands of illiterate and innumerate refugees "will be taking Australian jobs" if allowed into the country.

Labor leader Bill Shorten said such demonisation of refugees was "unconscionable" and the minister should be brought into line.

Mr Turnbull told reporters in Cairns, where he was announcing a $24 million shipyard redevelopment, that Australia was the most successful multicultural country in the world.

The success came from investing "an enormous amount of money" into settlement services to help refugees with language and job skills and integrating them into society.

He later added that Mr Dutton - who he described as an "outstanding immigration minister" - was merely stating that many refugees had poor educations through no fault of their own.

"That is why we are reaching out to help them with compassion," Mr Turnbull said in Townsville.

Mr Shorten said he feared the election campaign was heading down a "low road", while it should be fought on Australia's future.

The opposition leader himself was sidetracked by a report revealing frontbencher David Feeney had failed to declare a $2.3 million house on his parliamentary register of interests.

Mr Feeney, who is facing a tough contest with the Greens in his Melbourne seat of Batman, described it as an "oversight" which he had since corrected.

He also revealed the house and a second investment property were negatively geared, just as Labor was seeking to make an election issue of wealthy people receiving tax concessions.

Mr Shorten said he had spoken to Mr Feeney and expressed his displeasure.

"It is unacceptable," he said.

Mr Shorten defended Labor's negative gearing changes, saying they would level the playing field for first-home buyers and reap $32 billion in wound-back tax breaks.

The prime minister said Mr Shorten was being "shrill" about refugees because he wanted to distract from Mr Feeney's omissions.

"That is a lot to overlook," Mr Turnbull said.

The opposition leader was in Sydney to announce $175 million to unclog freight rail bottlenecks.

Labor also announced a plan for a national interest test, which would scrutinise new LNG export facilities or significant expansions of existing facilities.

As demand grows overseas for Australia's gas there are fears it will lead to higher prices for households and businesses.

The coalition says putting in place such a test, overseen by an advisory board to the treasurer, would undermine investor confidence.