Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has admitted the Coalition was wrong to deny a Labor MP time away from Parliament to care for a sick child, as tensions flared over Labor's plans to make it difficult for government MPs to miss critical votes.
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Revenue and Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer said Australians wanted Parliament to focus on the national interest and not play political games, challenging Labor leader Bill Shorten to match his promises to be constructive with actions.
Labor said on Tuesday it would test the Coalition claims that it has a "working" majority in the new Parliament by not entering into a formal pairing arrangement, which could effectively deny government MPs holidays or sick leave.
Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen indicated a slightly less aggressive approach to pairing on Wednesday, saying that Labor would allow Coalition MPs a pair in situations in cases of "national interest" and where there were "compelling personal reasons".
The Turnbull government's majority of 76 seats has brought about tactics not seen since the hardline approach of Tony Abbott as opposition leader in the 2010 hung parliament, in which he initially insisted on denying Labor requests for pairs except in exceptional circumstances.
Pairing arrangements allow MPs from both major parties to miss votes without affecting the outcome.
The deals are often used in the House of Representatives when MPs are sick or travelling.
On Tuesday night, Mr Joyce told the ABC's 7.30 program the Coalition was wrong to deny then Labor backbencher Michelle Rowland a pair so she could be with her sick child in May 2013.
In 2011, the Coalition threatened to not grant a pair to controversial Labor backbencher Craig Thomson when his wife was due to give birth during heated debate on the Labor government's carbon pricing legislation.
"I think that a party, whose principles around looking after people in the workplace ... it's a really sad day when they say if someone's having a baby they're not going to allow them a pair, if someone's sick they're not going to allow them a pair," he said.
"I don't think it was ever as savage as that [during the 43rd Parliament when Julia Gillard was prime minister]. If they ever say that someone, by reason of infirmity, is not going to be allowed a pair then that doesn't say much about a party that prides itself on looking after the worker."
He said Mr Abbott and manager of opposition business Christopher Pyne were wrong to take the hardline approach against Ms Rowland.
"If those decisions were made, then I think those decisions were also wrong ... and so I don't think two wrongs are ever going to make a right."
Mr Joyce said the government should be "realistic and decent" in operating the Parliament.
Speaking on ABC radio, Ms O'Dwyer said the dispute was a demonstration of unnecessary partisanship.
"It would be turning about 50 years of convention on its head," she said.
"Frankly I think the Australian people are very sick of party political games.
"We want more women in the Parliament, we want people who have got parental responsibilities putting their hand up for Parliament.
"For Labor to turn around and say, where you've got family emergences you are not going to be able to leave ... I think they need to explain why they've made that decision," she said.
Asked about Ms Rowland's experience, Ms O'Dwyer said the Labor opposition "should not play games" with similar situations.
