Shorten backs Aust Day but hits out at PM

Bill Shorten has restated his support for January 26 remaining Australia Day but hit out at Malcolm Turnbull for using the issue to divide the community.

"You are not going to see me sneering at Indigenous Australians who want to have a discussion about a different date for Australia Day," he told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

The Labor leader also rejected a call from his colleague Linda Burney for a separate public holiday to recognise Australia's first peoples, saying the country has enough public holidays.