Aussie opposition leader challenges "out of touch" PM at national conference

Australia's opposition leader Bill Shorten Friday used his party's national conference to challenge Prime Minister Tony Abbott on a number of issues, including the equal representation for female MPs, higher taxes for Australia's wealthy and a new stance on climate change.

Shorten declared that half of all Labor MPs would be female by 2025, calling Abbott "out of touch" and living in the past when it came to equal representation.

"Let us end the debilitating gender divide. Because if Australia can lead the way in equality for women, then we will truly be the richest nation in the world," Shorten told Labor Party's (ALP) national conference in Melbourne on Friday.

He also called on the prime minister to "bring on" a federal election campaigned around climate change policy.

Shorten labeled the Abbott government's stance on climate change as a "flat-earther," and he pledged to introduce a 50 percent renewable energy target (RET) in a revised emissions trading scheme.

Shorten said: "Climate change is an economic and environmental cancer and it demands early intervention."

He said he did not want Australia to lag behind other nations such as the United States and China in its commitment to combat the global issue.

"Labor will cut pollution with a market solution," he added.

The response to Shorten's all-encompassing 45-minute address was largely positive, but when he touched on the party's immigration policy, the mood became tense.

Boos were heard from the crowd as Shorten mentioned that Richard Marles, the shadow immigration spokesman, would strive to introduce "safe and humane" policies if the Labor government was elected.

Earlier this week, Shorten dramatically back-flipped in his opposition to the government's current policy to turn back asylum- seeker boats.

Shorten also touched upon increasing tax for foreign multinationals, rather than low-income Australians, same sex marriage, - but did not indicate whether he would enact a binding party vote on same-sex marriage if elected, - and family violence.

He also said Australia's most expensive defense contract, which could cost more than 35 billion U.S. dollars, to build a new fleet of submarines would "stay home," despite bids from Japan, Germany and France. The ALP party conference will continue on Saturday, before it wraps up on Sunday in Melbourne. Endi