Turnbull govt loses vote amid confusion

Labor has pounced on an opportunity to embarrass the Turnbull government after it lost a vote on the floor of parliament.

A number of ministers, including Peter Dutton, Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop and Michael Keenan, missed a vote in the lower house on Labor amendments to uncontroversial changes to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.

The amendments, which condemned the government over climate change, got up 69-61.

But Leader of the House Christopher Pyne asked the vote be retaken, claiming the bells for the division should have rung for four minutes instead of one.

It was subsequently defeated 74-69.

Labor frontbencher Tony Burke used the bungle to criticise the coalition for "failing to protect the Great Barrier Reef".

He called on the government to "end the chaos and govern for the benefit of Australians".

"Do they really think this chaos is going to end while the deputy prime minister is still here?" he told parliament, referring to Barnaby Joyce's citizenship concerns.

The legislation, after much delay, eventually passed.