Shorten ends two days of evidence

Tony Abbott has made appearing at a royal commission a "rite of passage" for Labor leaders, says Bill Shorten.

Mr Shorten, a former Australian Workers Union secretary, told reporters at the end of two days of giving evidence at the union royal commission he had answered hundreds of questions and there had been no evidence of any conflict of interest.

"I think it's part of the rite of passage for a Labor leader that in Mr Abbott's government you get called before a royal commission," he said in Sydney on Thursday.