Shorten slams 'undermining' of NBN Co board

Opposition leadership aspirant Bill Shorten has lashed out at the Government for "effectively undermining confidence" in NBN Co's board.

Shorten's comments came after Fairfax reported that NBN Co's board members had offered to tender their resignations to the new Federal Government.

It was later revealed that Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull asked the board to resign, and that all but one member of the board had offered to do so.

The resignations could be considered by federal cabinet as early as next week.

An NBN Co spokesperson declined to comment on the reports.

Speaking to journalists in a televised doorstop, Shorten said the public shouldn't be surprised to see a "totally new board" instated for NBN Co.

He also said voters shouldn't be surprised if the result of planned reviews of NBN Co are used "to go after the NBN".

Shorten said the fact that one board member was likely to be retained suggested "the incoming governnment's got a plan and it's not pretty for NBN Co".

Former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski is widely expected to be appointed NBN Co chairman by the new government.

Shorten offered a brief assessment of the choice. "Individually he's an eminent Australian," he said. "I'm not going to bag him personally".