Burned by Labor's successful Mediscare federal election strategy, the Turnbull government is preparing to introduce new criminal penalties including jail time for anyone convicted of impersonating a Commonwealth entity.

In the wake of the Coalition's July 2 electoral disaster, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called in the Australian Federal Police over Queensland Labor's text messages to voters that many recipients thought were from Medicare.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says the Coalition respects the Fair Work Commission's decision. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The messages warned: "Mr Turnbull's plans to privatise Medicare will take us down the road of no return. Time is running out to Save Medicare".

The Prime Minister called the messages "an extraordinary act of dishonesty" and said they falsely targeted elderly and vulnerable people, but in August the Australian Federal Police said it wouldn't take action over the messages.