Labor accuses government of cutting sitting days in 2019 to avoid scrutiny

Labor has taken a swipe at the coalition after it was revealed federal parliament will return on February 12 next year.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten has accused the government of stopping work after narrowly winning a vote - 72 to 71 - against Labor's attempt to add an extra six sitting dates in March.

It effectively means that federal parliament will return on February 12 next year but may only sit for a couple of weeks before an election is called.

"If ordinary Australians behaved at work like this government does, they'd be sacked," Mr Shorten said.

"This is a government that has stopped working."

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne presented the draft calendar to the lower house on Tuesday evening, which was agreed to despite Labor's objections.

With an early budget announced for April 2 and the federal election due by mid-May, the House of Representatives could only sit for about two weeks before a possible change of government.

Because election campaigns must run for at least 33 days, it would have to be called by April 15 at the latest, for an election on May 18. That means the April sitting week scheduled will almost certainly not happen, and the House of Representatives and Senate will only sit together for 6 days in 2019 before the election.

2019 sitting calendar. Blue bars are both houses, while the Green bars represent Reps-only weeks without the Senate. Source: Parliament

There will be even fewer sitting days for the Senate, with estimates hearings slated for the second sitting week of the year, from February 18.

The calendar is blank for March, giving the government time to prepare for the early budget.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne. Source: AAP

The government narrowly won a vote - 72 to 71 - against Labor's attempt to add an extra six sitting dates in March.

"The fact the numbers on the floor have become inconvenient for the government, doesn't change our democratically elected duty," leader of opposition business Tony Burke told the lower house on Tuesday.

"They (the coalition) don't want to risk what democracy thinks of this government."

Federal parliament is in the midst of its final sitting fortnight of the year, which will end next on December 6.