Abbott provides Shorten's Question Time inspiration

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has recycled a question Tony Abbott used against Julia Gillard to emphasise the prime minister's weakened hold on his position.

"Given that nearly half of his parliamentary colleagues, including two-thirds of his Liberal backbenchers, have today expressed a lack of confidence in the prime minister, how can the prime minister claim to have a mandate for this country?" the Labor leader asked at the start of question time on Monday.

It was almost identical to the question Mr Abbott asked of Ms Gillard three years ago after she won a Labor leadership ballot against Kevin Rudd.

Mr Abbott hit back by telling Mr Shorten the last election was something Labor wanted to forget.

"This government did win an election and that is the mandate that we are carrying out," he said.

Later, Mr Shorten moved - unsuccessfully - to suspend standing orders in order to move a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.