The federal government owes small business an explanation about why it did not take up a Labor offer to pass new tax breaks through parliament, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten says.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott challenged Labor on Monday to pass the small business legislation straight away and not let politics get in the way of an economic boost.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Shorten entered the lower house chamber to announce Labor would support the vote being brought on immediately.
However, the government voted down the motion to allow 31 coalition MPs to speak on the bills.
"The question is why is this government so distracted, so slow-footed that when Labor votes to fast-track a better deal for small business the government's united against opposing fast-tracking," Mr Shorten later told reporters.
"The government's got some explaining to do to small business."
Mr Shorten said Labor had offered its in-principle support for the small business assistance since the day after the budget.
Mr Abbott told parliament the bills could not become law as the Senate is not sitting until later in June.
"What we saw from the opposition ... was yet another childish stunt," Mr Abbott said.
The bills would pass by Thursday in any case and the test for Labor was whether they would be delayed in the Senate by being referred to a committee for an inquiry, he said.
Treasurer Joe Hockey said Mr Shorten was playing political games.
Mr Shorten said the prime minister had brought a "bleak oppositional" mindset into government.
But Labor did not have such a "born-to-rule mentality", he said.
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