Social Services Minister Christian Porter is already in discussions with crossbench senators over his plans to revamp the welfare system.
He concedes not everyone's happy with his ideas.
But he says benefits are presently doled out in a way where lives don't improve, resulting in long-term welfare and, "most terrible of all", welfare dependency gets passed onto the next generation.
"Not everyone loves the idea of change inside the system, but if we don't change we are going to get the same results, and they are very grim in a range of key areas," Mr Porter told Sky News on Sunday.
He plans to provide detail briefings of his aims announced last week to use evidence-based data to better targeted welfare benefits, particularly those going to young carers and parents, and students.
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He has already met with the Nick Xenophon Team and some One Nation senators.
Some of the changes the government is trying to make where results are bad at present can be done administratively
"If there are some design changes or rule changes that we think the data shows are absolutely necessary to produce better long-term results, we will have to argue that case," he said.
"I guess saying that there are always going to be difficulties in the Senate is like saying you get wet when you go out for a surf. It shouldn't stop us getting out on the waves."
He said every government for the last 50 years is responsible for laying on rules, processes and administration for new types of supplements and programs without properly evaluating them.
But data is now in place to get a glimpse into the future as to whether certain programs are working.
"Largely governments have been doing things on a well-meaning basis based on instincts, sometimes emotion, but we don't always know whether or not these things overall make people's lives better," he said.
