Treasurer Scott Morrison wants to have a good budget story to tell the world's major credit agencies in the coming months, but crossbench senators are miffed they aren't being included in the tale.
Standard & Poor's, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch ratings have backed the Turnbull government's aim to reduce expenditure but have expressed concern about the make-up of the 45th Parliament, or as one labelled it, a "splintered Senate".
"The question they have is will the parliament support achieving that trajectory," Mr Morrison told reporters in Canberra on Monday.
Such support will be put to the test when the government's so-called omnibus savings bill is debated in the lower house on Tuesday.
It contains 24 measures - worth some $6 billion - Labor originally opposed but said it would support during the election campaign.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"It will be a good story to tell (the ratings agencies) to say we have our budget and we are getting support for savings measures in this parliament to help us achieve what we have set out in this budget," Mr Morrison said.
He earlier told Ray Hadley on 2GB radio progress was being made with the opposition, but warned if the savings don't pass, "we'll pay more taxes in the future".
But shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh insists Labor won't be rushed on the bill, saying it was important to go through it carefully especially when at first glance the numbers didn't add up.
"When we first looked at it we discovered an $100 million error, so you'll forgive us for taking a little bit of time," Dr Leigh told Sky News.
The legislation was introduced in the first sitting week of the new parliament a fortnight ago with measures said to save $6.1 billion, a figure later reduced to just under $6 billion because of a Treasury miscalculation.
The government also faces a hostile Senate crossbench, who have had a "gutful" of being left no time to scrutinise the bill.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale can't believe one of the most significant bills of the new parliament won't be subject to a formal parliamentary committee inquiry process.
"The Australian public has been denied the opportunity to scrutinise that legislation and to ask questions about who will be affected," he said at a hybrid inquiry set up by the Greens and independents.
New independent Derryn Hinch said he felt "insulted" having presumed senators would get time to scrutinise the savings measures.
Independent Nick Xenophon said it was quite extraordinary there would be no public hearing into the bill.
"I haven't seen anything like it," he said.
The government only needs the support of Labor in the Senate to have its legislation clear parliament.
