Labor leaves climate policy open

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says Labor remains committed to a market-based approach to cutting carbon emissions but won't have a detailed policy until the next election.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott will on Monday reintroduce the carbon tax repeal bills to parliament, ahead of the new Senate sitting in July.

The government appears likely to get its key election promise through the upper house with the support of six new crossbench senators.

Mr Shorten said the coalition's climate policy - known as Direct Action - was a "smelly bag of fish" which would do nothing to cut emissions.

"We've made it clear that we would support the repeal of the carbon price on the basis it was replaced by an effective policy," Mr Shorten said.

"I don't think anyone thinks that this smelly bag of fish called the direct action policy, a multi-billion dollar boondoggle to hide the fact that they're climate sceptics, satisfies anyone."

Mr Shorten said Labor backed a market-based system.

"We will work our policies up for the next election," he said.