The Liberal-National coalition has extended an olive branch to Senate crossbenchers in the wake of past "toxic" relations.
One of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's first actions after ousting Tony Abbott last month was to phone all eight crossbenchers on whom the government relies to pass its legislation.
New leader of the government in the Senate George Brandis is following up the calls this week with meetings.
Mr Turnbull also plans face-to-face meetings with crossbenchers in Canberra next week.
Senator Brandis said the government would be dealing with them as eight individuals, not a voting bloc.
"What I've said to them ... is the government wants to be of whatever assistance we can be to you in considering legislation," he told Sky News on Wednesday.
"There's a huge volume of work and it does fall upon the government to explain both the detail of legislation to them and, even more importantly, the reasons for the legislation."
The "new government" under Mr Turnbull was "resetting" a lot of relationships.
"There was a degree of toxicity in our parliament, in politics, in recent years going back into the period of the Labor government that the public were fed up with," Senator Brandis said.
"There is an important difference in the mood in this building in both chambers."
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm said the change of leader had made a difference.
"The big difference is we have his phone number, he has ours, and we hear from him - how radical do you get?" the NSW senator said.
Palmer United Party senator Dio Wang said he never had Mr Abbott's mobile number but received Mr Turnbull's at their first meeting.
"I think he is going to be a great leader," Senator Wang said.
Independent senator Glenn Lazarus said he would be meeting with Mr Turnbull next week, where he would raise issues such as coal seam gas development.
"In just over 12 months in this house Tony Abbott and I had one meeting and a very brief phone call," Senator Lazarus said.
However, the former rugby league great - who was once dumped to reserve grade in the NRL - had some sympathy for Mr Abbott, who now sits on the backbench.
"It's not a good feeling, I can tell you, to be dumped by your peers and people you respect."
Share
