Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said the prevalence of "systemic racism" in Australian society is one of the key obstacles to achieving reconciliation with Indigenous people.

In a speech for National Reconciliation Week in Melbourne Friday night, Mr Shorten spoke of the need for mutual respect between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, and the need for common ground to be found on the issues of colonisation and settlement.

He argued those are among the hurdles holding the nation back.

"The insidious nature of stubborn racism is still a reality for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals regardless of the status and stature they achieve in our society," Mr Shorten said.

"Every generation of Aboriginal athlete, from Doug Nicholls to Nicky Winmar to Michael Long to Adam Goodes has known this.

"And this sense of discrimination percolates down to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples on the street every day."

Mr Shorten said he knows "racism is not true of most Australians".

"I'm proud of those many Australians who stand up against heinousness of racism," Mr Shorten said.

"But there is more we must do as parents, as educators and indeed as leaders."

He spoke of the push for constitutional recognition for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and how it would enhance Federal Parliament's respect of culture when making laws.

Indigenous, non-Indigenous relationship 'not working'

But Mr Shorten said the nation needed to be honest in accepting the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians still is not working.

"The disgraceful fiction of the doctrine of terra nullius has been disproved," Mr Shorten said.

"But without a future framework agreed with Aboriginal people, all the arguments from 1788 onwards will continue to plague us."

Both Mr Shorten and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have focussed on Indigenous affairs in recent days.

On Friday, Mr Turnbull visited an Indigenous business in Brisbane to focus on growing such enterprises.

Mr Shorten travelled to the remote community of Maningrida in the Northern Territory to announce funding for more Indigenous rangers.

Friday night, the pair will both attend the Dreamtime at the G match between Essendon and Richmond in Melbourne, an annual fixture of the AFL's Indigenous round.

On Thursday, Mr Turnbull posted on social media about his commitment to National Sorry Day.

"I call on all Australians to acknowledge what was lost, and work together in a spirit of reconciliation based on mutual respect," he wrote.

"With optimism and hope, made real by hard work and commitment, we walk together in healing and in reconciliation."