The Abbott government is talking down the prospect of the carbon tax being repealed on Tuesday.
A debate on the carbon tax repeal bills and amendments is being held up by backroom talks on a list of other bills to be brought on for debate before the Senate rises on Thursday for a five-week break.
The government, in a motion yet to be brought forward, is expected to propose the Senate extend sitting hours on Tuesday and Thursday.
But the list of bills to be debated before the winter recess has yet to be agreed.
A government spokeswoman said as soon as the list of other bills was broadly agreed, the carbon tax repeal bills would be brought on for debate.
Senior government figures said anyone who believes the tax would be repealed on Tuesday held a false impression.
The debate was listed on the Senate's order of business on Tuesday morning after the bills passed the lower house on Monday evening.
Manager of government business Mitch Fifield held a meeting with party leaders, whips and crossbench officials earlier in the day.
Among the priority bills are the Qantas Sale Amendment Bill and the Australian National Preventative Health Agency (Abolition) Bill.
Further talks were being held on Tuesday afternoon.
The government was endeavouring to work co-operatively with "colleagues in this place" as far as possible to reach agreement on how the repeal bills were dealt with, Senator Fifield told parliament.
Those discussions also involved "some other important pieces of legislation".
Government leader in the lower house Christopher Pyne held talks with Palmer United Party leader Clive Palmer just before question time.
The government focused on the carbon tax during question time in the lower house.
Treasurer Joe Hockey noted that Wednesday would be the first anniversary of Kevin Rudd's announcement that Labor would terminate the carbon tax if re-elected.
Mr Hockey said Labor was now preventing the government from abolishing the tax and would still be defending it at the time of the next election.
"The carbon tax and the Labor party are one and the same," he said.
Labor has called on the government to replace the fixed carbon price with a floating price or emissions trading scheme.
The carbon tax is expected to be repealed with the support of the three PUP senators, Victoria's Ricky Muir and at least two of four other crossbenchers who campaigned against it.
Share
