The Senate last wednesday voted down the minister’s change to the rules, which allowed spending on pamphlets and newspapers but prohibited that same allowance to be spent on radio and tv advertising.

The coalition wanted to “level the playing field” with the change, but Labor frontbencher Don Farrell, who moved the disallowance motion in the Senate, accused the prime minister of wasting taxpayers’ money.

“Publicly funded office budgets are for members and senators to communicate with their constituents – not for spamming voters with hollow election slogans from the ad man, Scott Morrison,” he said.

The Department of Finance lists the allowances, which vary by the size of the electorate.

With the support of the Greens and a crossbench senators, Labor won the disallowance vote 34 to 28.