We'll sell next ETS better, says Shorten

Bill Shorten has vowed Labor will take an emissions trading scheme (ETS) to the next federal election, despite the carnage climate policy has inflicted on past Labor leaders.

Carbon pricing became political poison for the former Labor government, contributing to the downfalls of both Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd.

But Mr Shorten has re-committed his party to pursuing an ETS in the wake of a Senate vote to scrap the carbon tax, brushing aside suggestions it may be political suicide to do so.

Labor needed to communicate in a "straight fashion" with the Australian people, he said.

"Australians get that climate change is real - they get that sea levels are rising," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra.

"I do believe that an ETS argued through, learning the lessons of the past, communicating with Australians, with business - people are up for that."

Labor had settled for "second best" by introducing the carbon tax in 2012, he said.

"In hindsight we should have taken an emissions trading scheme to an election," Mr Shorten said.

However, he described Prime Minister Tony Abbott as an "environmental vandal" for abolishing the carbon tax.

"History will judge Tony Abbott very harshly," he said.