Federal Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon has refused to be drawn on whether Singleton could again be used to house refugees, saying it is hard to compare Kosovo's refugee crisis to what is happening now in Syria.

Singleton's army base housed 500 people displaced from Kosovo in 1999, under 'Operation Safe Haven'.

And, in 2013, the Rudd Government set aside $43 million for a detention centre at the Singleton base, before eventually scrapping the plan.

The Labor leader Bill Shorten yesterday called for Australia to take an extra 10,000 thousand Syrian refugees over the next year.

Mr Fitzgibbon says Australia can do more, but Singleton may not be the best place.

"It's very hard to compare the Kosova situation back in 1999 with the situation we're facing now," he said.

"I think the first thing the government needs to do is demonstrate Australia, as a very wealthy nation in relative terms, is prepared to do its bit and more.

"I'm very pleased with Bill Shorten's announcement.

"That will put pressure on Tony Abbott to do more.

"He's been very reluctant to do so, Tony Abbott."