Labor has made another attempt to have under-siege minister Stuart Robert front parliament and explain his controversial trip to China.
For a second day, shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus moved to interrupt the business of the lower house and have it demand the minister's presence.
"The prime minister should show leadership and sack the minister now," he told parliament on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has asked the head of his department to determine whether Mr Robert breached ministerial standards by helping a friend and Liberal Party donor sign a mining deal in China.
Mr Dreyfus demanded Mr Robert provide parliament with a full and comprehensive account of his trip to China including itinerary, program of meetings and speeches.
He should also explain his failure to resign over breaching ministerial standards.
The government used its numbers to defeat the Labor move.
Outside the chamber, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten accused Mr Turnbull of outsourcing decision-making.
"It doesn't take a $40,000 Rolex watch to know that the time's up for Stewart Robert," he told reporters.
"The only person keeping Stuart Robert in his job at the moment is Malcolm Turnbull."
Liberal MP Dan Tehan defended the prime minister's decision to refer the matter to his department secretary.
As a Queen's Counsel, Mr Dreyfus should respect proper process, he told reporters.
