Bill Shorten answers questions from readers of 'The Examiner'

Brian Bayliss, of Whitefoord, asked Mr Shorten what Labor would do about National Broadband Network black spots in rural and regional areas of Tasmania.

“There are a lot of mobile black spots that have been nominated under the black spot program nationally,” Mr Shorten said in response to the question.

“There are 421 in Tasmania but they only [had] 31 towers built.

“That’s a huge deficit of black spots.”

Mr Shorten revealed that round two of the mobile black spot program is going to fund 266 sites around Australia – but only six of those would be in Tasmania.

And, of those six, none will be in the Bass electorate.

“That’s not on,” he said, appearing to suggest the ALP would take a different approach to the problem.

Freda Wagner asked Mr Shorten how Labor intended to address the deficiencies in the Tasmanian health system if his party were to win power.

“We’ll properly fund Medicare, we’ll work on our hospitals package,” Mr Shorten said.

“We’re committed to making sure we properly fund preventative health.

“Something I’m particularly aware of is sub-acute care for people with … mental illness.”

Sol Degendorfer, of Launceston, meanwhile, suggested Mr Shorten had played a role in the political demise of former Prime Ministers Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

It was in this context that Mr Degendorfer asked the Opposition Leader how Australians could trust him.

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Mr Shorten disputed the implication.

“People are concerned about disunity,” he said.

“All the division and disunity is either in the Greens – they can’t sit in the same room as each other – or the Liberal Party.

“There’s more factions there than a Monty Python film.”

He said he could “reassure” Mr Degendorfer that the Labor Party had certain rules in place.

“We give our rank and file a say and that takes out some of the instability,” Mr Shorten said.

“We’re focused on providing an alternative for Australians, not just fighting each other for who’s got what job.”