Chief Whip’s “no comment” on Parliament “stuff-up”

Lower House Chief Government Whip and Forrest MHR Nola Marino has refused to comment on a “stuff-up” in Parliament overnight.

The Federal Government became the first majority government in more than 50 years to lose a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives, after an apparent Labor Party ambush.

A number of the Coalition’s MPs left the House early last night and the Opposition pounced with a surprise vote against parliament adjourning at the usual time of 4.30pm.

Senior ministers scrambled to call MPs back to ensure Labor’s motion for a banking Royal Commission could be defeated.

Labor’s tactics won the party three procedural votes before the Coalition had the numbers to adjourn for the day.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne this morning told the Today show the incident was a “stuff up”.

While Mrs Marino fell victim to a game of political finger-pointing over the incident, Mr Turnbull has since blamed ministers Peter Dutton, Michael Kennan and Christian Porter for what he called an embarrassment to the coalition.

Mrs Marino is the Chief Whip in the Lower House and is responsible for the actions and attendance of Coalition MPs.

The Bunbury-based politician was mid-flight when theSouth Western Times tried to contact her, but Mrs Marino’s staff said she would not be making any comment.