Bill Shorten says no major government appointments should be made while the Liberal Party grapples with its leadership uncertainty.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could face a fresh challenge for his leadership on Thursday, with a small group of Liberal MPs pushing for Peter Dutton to have another go.
Mr Shorten says the government should effectively move into caretaker mode while the tension is dealt with.
He confirmed on Wednesday he had written to Mr Turnbull asking the coalition "cease taking any actions that may bind the decisions of an incoming government, in line with caretaker conventions".
"Out of respect for the Australian people, such a pause should continue until the leadership of the coalition government is satisfactorily resolved or a general election is called, at which point normal caretaker conventions would commence," the opposition leader wrote on Wednesday.
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Labor has already called into question the government's appointment of a new NBN Co boss.
Stephen Rue, who has been chief financial officer of the organisation for four years, was announced as the new CEO on Wednesday, taking on the post on September 1 to replace Bill Morrow.
Opposition communications spokeswoman Michelle Rowland said the party had already been worried about such an appointment so close to the next election by May 2019 but the leadership issues added to its concerns.
"The chaos overwhelming the government means it would be inappropriate to make appointments such as this one," she said in a statement.
