The Turnbull government has begun shelving policies and looking to fast-track decisions as a July 2 election becomes more likely.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the government won't get its planned crackdown on paid parental leave "double-dipping" through before the election.
From July 1, mums and dads would no longer be allowed to access both taxpayer and employer schemes, but the laws are stalled in parliament.
"The reality is the legislative change that we wished to make ... is not going to be successful in this term of parliament," Mr Porter told ABC radio on Wednesday.
However that did not mean the government would abandon making its case for change if it was re-elected.
The government is also weighing up whether to make a statement on a major defence project - the replacement of the Collins class submarines - before a formal "competitive evaluation process" involving Japan, Germany and France is completed.
Industry Minister Christopher Pyne, who represents a seat in the shipbuilding state of South Australia, said an election in September would have given time for the process to run its course.
A July 2 election would make this more difficult, however he expected a decision of some kind "as soon as possible".
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the process was "extremely thorough" and on track.
"When the government makes the decision it will be a very fully-informed decision," he told reporters in Sydney.
Senate crossbenchers hold the key to whether Mr Turnbull gets his double-dissolution trigger - the failure of the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill to pass.
Independent senator Glenn Lazarus said the double-dissolution election would happen because Mr Turnbull was "panicking" and needed an election soon to stem the drop in support for the coalition.
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm said Mr Turnbull had for some weeks been "looking forward to a double-dissolution election with industrial relations front and centre".
However, another crossbencher Nick Xenophon said the government was negotiating in good faith to get the ABCC bill passed and a July election was not inevitable.
Coalition backbenchers are expressing concern about the direction of the government.
"I think it's coming across to the public that we are a bit wishy-washy," Capricornia MP Michelle Landry said.
Mr Turnbull said he would encourage all coalition MPs to "be more upbeat".
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, who campaigned in Sydney on Wednesday, said the government's flagging support showed Mr Turnbull was "out of touch".
But a collection of opinion polls and betting markets points to a comfortable coalition win at the federal election, likely in July.
MetaPoll, which has aggregated the responses of 18,000 voters in public opinion polls over the past four weeks, has the coalition leading Labor 51.8-48.2 per cent after preferences.
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