Instead, Mr Taylor says he left the House of Representatives to attend an appointment at nearby Murrumbateman - which lies in his electorate of Hume.

That departure coincided with a Wednesday morning protest by some 10 Coalition MPs, who took exception to the underlying message of an address by Mr Shorten.

The instigator of the protest, Victorian Liberal MP Russell Broadbent, took aim at the Labor leader for politicising the issue of Indigenous health and wellbeing – a topic normally considered above party politics.

Mr Shorten questioned the government’s motives behind cutting what he claims to be $500 million from its aid budget, much of which could have been spent addressing mortality rates among Indigenous Australians.

The political feud followed the release of the Commonwealth Government commissioned Closing the Gap report. 

Mr Taylor says he was unaware of the protest. 

“I’m not allowed to leave parliament anymore in case I cause a stir,” he said.

“This is going from the sublime to the ridiculous. People leave the parliament all the time.

“I left to go to an appointment at Murrumbateman. I didn’t notice anyone else leaving.”