Labor defends Shorten comments

A senior Labor figure has defended what leader Bill Shorten told sick children during a campaign visit to a Melbourne hospital.

Mr Shorten toured the Monash Medical Centre in Melbourne on Tuesday, telling seriously-ill kids that if he became prime minister Labor would properly fund public hospitals and not give big companies a tax cut.

When asked whether such comments were appropriate, Labor MP Ed Husic told Sky News: "It's even more jarring when the cameras are away and someone is making a decision about affording health care."