Leader of the House Christopher Pyne publicly announced the move on Monday – before MPs had been notified by chief government whip Nola Marino – and cited the need to focus on passing same-sex marriage laws and deal with the citizenship fiasco.

Labor, the Greens and maverick Queensland MP Bob Katter accused the government of trying to avoid Nationals MPs crossing the floor in the lower house and voting to create a commission of inquiry into Australia's banking system when Parliament returns.

But Mr Pyne dismissed that suggestion in announcing that the lower house will now not meet until December 4, rather than November 27, when the Senate returns to debate same-sex marriage laws, including contentious amendments about the need to strengthen religious protections.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Labor wanted to turn up for work next Monday and the government should do so, too.

Shadow cabinet will still meet in Canberra and all 69 Labor MPs will return as well if the five crossbench MPs agree to do so, as this will mean a majority of MPs on the floor of the house, 74, will be calling on the Prime Minister for Parliament to sit.

At present, three of those five MPs - Adam Bandt, Rebekha Sharkie and Bob Katter say they will return but Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan have said they will not.

The delay in sittings also means that lower house MPs will now have until 8pm on Tuesday, December 5 – rather than the previously agreed December 1, which still applies for the Senate – to make disclosures to the Parliament about their citizenship status.

Fairfax Media spoke to a range of government MPs who were critical of the snap decision to cancel Parliament and questioned the political tactics of their own side.

"It seems like panic. In this game you put on a brave face, you front up and present an air of confidence. This seems like Turnbull is scared of the party room and the Parliament," one MP said.

A second MP expressed shock at the decision, which he had first heard about on Sky News.

A third MP said the decision looked like Mr Turnbull was trying to stall the plan to set up the banking commission of inquiry.

The push to establish a commission of inquiry is all but certain to pass the Senate and is being led by Nationals senator Barry O'Sullivan.

Several lower house Nationals MPs, including George Christensen and Llew O'Brien, have indicated they could side with Labor and the crossbench to reach 76 votes needed to suspend standing orders and bring on debate on thr bill, and Senator O'Sullivan has said as many as four MPs could defect.

The Turnbull government is currently a minority government, holding just 73 seats on the floor of the lower house, because former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and backbench MP John Alexander are campaigning to win back their NSW seats of New England and Bennelong respectively.

Mr Pyne said a one-week sitting delay would not affect the government's numbers in the house because "neither John Alexander nor Barnaby Joyce would be back in the House" from December 4.

Asked about the prospect of Senator O'Sullivan's bill succeeding in the lower house too, Mr Pyne said the government "won't be listing other bills, but anyone who wishes to change the agenda, if they have 76 votes [and] that they can achieve a suspension of standing orders, well that motion is open to them to move".

Mr Pyne attempted to argue the lower house sitting had simply pushed back by a week, rather than cancelled, as sittings could take place from December 11, while also accusing Labor of charging taxpayers for a stunt by coming to Canberra.

Mr Shorten said that "just because Malcolm Turnbull does not like what the Parliament might decide, no-one made him the boss of everything in the world...there is no rock big enough under which Mr Turnbull can hide which will prevent a banking royal commission".

His deputy Tanya Plibersek said the decision was outrageous and "there are dozens of pieces of legislation before the Parliament that could be debated".

Greens lower house MP Adam Bandt said the "government is terrified it has lost control of Parliament. King Charles cancelled Parliaments and he lost his head. At this rate, Turnbull is not far from the metaphorical chopping block either."

An outraged Bob Katter declared "Parliament will sit. We will form Parliament, we'll appoint a speaker, and we will proceed," while fellow crossbench MP Rebekha Sharkie said she would also return to Canberra, even though the lower house would not sit.