Malcolm Turnbull’s Coalition government dealt huge blow in House Of Representatives

Malcolm Turnbull’s ‘government is in office but not in power’ the opposition claims, after the Prime Minister faced an embarrassing loss of three votes in the lower house.

Labor took advantage the weakness in the government’s numbers late Thursday afternoon after many MPs left Canberra for home, winning three successive votes and forcing the parliament’s sitting hours to be extended.

It’s the first time in 50 years that a majority government has lost a vote in the House of Representatives.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull leaves the House of Representatives after an embarrassing loss of three votes in the lower house

Malcolm Turbull’s government is ‘in office but not in power’ the opposition claims, after the majority government lost a vote in the House of Representatives for the first time in 50 years

Bill Shorten and his Labor party exploited a weakness in the government’s numbers late Thursday afternoon after many MPs left Canberra for home

There have been differing reports on whether the government whip had told ministers and MPs it was ok to leave parliament or whether Leader of the House Christopher Pyne gave his approval

Chaotic scenes unfolded as eight ministers and MP’s were hastily called back to parliament as Labor took advantage of the coalition’s slender majority, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Government whip George Christensen suggested coalition MPs were not heeding calls to be in the chamber.

‘They wouldn’t turn up for the vote,’ he said.

‘That’s baptism by fire.’

Eight ministers and MP’s were hastily called back to parliament as Labor took advantage of the coalition’s slender majority

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra where Labor tried to bring on debate to establish a royal commission into banks

Labor tried to bring on debate in a bid to call on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to establish a royal commission into banks.

Speaker Tony Smith was forced to use his casting vote – believed to be for the first time – on a procedural motion to allow the debate to be considered.

‘Tonight’s been a wake-up call for the Turnbull government – the clock is ticking,’ manager of opposition business Tony Burke said.

But Treasurer Scott Morrison has denounced the move and accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of taking political advantage.

‘He is using a stunt to promote his stunt,’ he told parliament.

Mr Shorten said the royal commission was the last resort for justice for those who’d been let down by the banking system.

‘We may succeed tonight or not …. we will never give up.’

Scott Morrison has accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of taking political advantage and exploiting the weakness in the government’s numbers

The incident has called into question on how ‘stable’ Turnbull’s majority really is

Labor MPs were celebrating the victory on social media

‘Tonight’s been a wake-up call for the Turnbull government – the clock is ticking,’ as questions rise whether Turnbull’s government is stable

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during a third division after the government lost two divisions in the House of Representatives

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen urged the prime minister to give up the fight against a royal commission.

‘Sometimes you just have to know when you’ve lost – sometimes you just have to know when it’s time to recognise reality … when it’s time to say ‘OK I might have got this one wrong’.’

Other Labor MPs were celebrating the victory on social media.

‘How is that stable majority government working out for you, Mr Turnbull?’ frontbencher Mark Dreyfus tweeted.

Labor indicated it would continue testing the government’s majority, saying the victory built the case for a future no-confidence motion.

‘It doesn’t stop tonight,’ Mr Burke said.