The only saving grace for Malcolm Turnbull after Labor's unexpected win in the Melbourne federal seat of Batman is that he has a week before having to face a jubilant Bill Shorten.
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While the Senate will operate this week, the House of Representatives' chamber will remain empty until it sits for three days next week.
Former ACTU president Ged Kearney successfully fought off the challenge of the Greens in Saturday's by-election, a poll the Liberals didn't contest.
Ms Kearney believes she won against six times Green candidate Alex Bhathal because she focused on everyday issues of the community.
The win came despite the Labor leader announcing a policy that will end cash handouts on non-taxpaying shareholders just days out from the election and a plan that could potentially leave thousands of pensioners worse off.
But Mr Shorten insists pensioners will always do better under Labor.
"We are far more fair dinkum on pensioners and we will have more to say in the future about our good deal for pensioners," he told reporters on Sunday.
"We don't support the Turnbull government creating the world's oldest pension age, the age of 70."
The prime minister said Mr Shorten had nothing to crow about by winning a seat Labor has held for 50 years, while Treasurer Scott Morrison said the result had just proved the ALP was the most left-wing party in the country.
The by-election was brought on because its former Labor MP David Feeney fell foul of the long-running dual citizenship debacle.
Australian Associated Press
