Tanya Plibersek is being urged by some colleagues to step back into the critical health shadow portfolio as Labor's stronger-than-expected election performance forces Bill Shorten to grapple with a generational reshuffle to take on the new Turnbull Government.

The Opposition Leader will be forced to choose between rising talent and frontbench veterans, including Jenny Macklin and Kim Carr, keen to stay on with a return to government back in prospect.

The ALP factions in each state have begun discussing who to put forward for Mr Shorten to select in his shadow cabinet and outer ministry, but Jim Chalmers, Ed Husic, Terri Butler and Linda Burney are expected to have some of the strongest claims on promotion.