Turnbull DD election a disaster: O'Connor

Labor frontbencher Brendan O'Connor says Malcolm Turnbull's double-dissolution election has been a "disaster".

He says the prime minister persuaded the governor-general to dissolve both houses of parliament eight weeks ago, primarily to push through his Australian Builders and Construction Commission measure in a post-election joint sitting, which now seems unlikely.

"(Turnbull) mentioned the ABCC four times in 56 days. He spoke about it more last night than he did during the election campaign. It was a phoney war," Mr O'Connor told Sky News on Sunday.