Turnbull/Abbott awkwardness 'hard to beat'

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has deflected rumours of a rift with Kevin Rudd, insisting it'll be hard to beat the awkwardness between Malcolm Turnbull and his predecessor.

Mr Rudd has put on the record that he is backing Mr Shorten in the July 2 election, following a News Corp report that he had refused to answer questions on a Shorten government.

The former prime minister took to Twitter to express his surprise at reading he apparently wasn't supporting the ALP leader.

"As former Labor PM and ALP member of 35 yrs I'm proud to endorse him," he wrote.

Asked whether he'd like to see the former prime ministers he'd a hand in deposing attend his party launch, Mr Shorten insisted he was pleased with the support he'd received from Mr Rudd and Julia Gillard.

He said his team was united, unlike his opposition.

"I think we are all going to wait for that remarkably awkward photo of Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull together," he told reporters in Geelong on Monday.

"That will take some beating in this campaign."