Special Minister of State Mal Brough has become the second Government frontbencher to meet the chopping block within a 20-minute period on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced Mr Brough would “stand aside … pending the completion of inquiries by the police”.

“The Hon Mal Brough MP and I have agreed that he will stand aside as Special Minister of State and Minister for Defence Materiel and Science,” Mr Turnbull said in a statement.

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“The Minister for Finance and Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate, Senator the Hon Mathias Cormann, will act as the Special Minister of State, and the Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, will act as Minister for Defence Materiel and Science.

“In offering to stand aside, Mr Brough has done the right thing, recognising the importance of the government maintaining an unwavering focus on jobs, economic growth and national security.”

Mr Brough was under fire in the weeks leading up to Christmas, as Labor relentlessly questioned him and the government on the Special Minister of State’s involvement in the Peter Slipper affair.

The New Daily contacted Mr Brough’s office for comment, but were told the MP had “no further comment to make”.