Malcolm Turnbull will seek to head into the parliamentary Christmas break having wrapped up a sack-full of election promises.
The government is hoping to secure the passing of its second double-dissolution bill, reinstating the building industry watchdog, following the Senate this week rubber stamping the other election trigger, to step up penalties for union and employer group misconduct.
Asked whether he would be better off seeking to deregister the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union, the prime minister said he had been advised there were too many "legal obstacles".
Restoring the rule of law in the building sector would increase productivity and the ability of people to work in the industry.
"Because they won't have to get past the union being able to dictate what subcontractor can get a start," Mr Turnbull told 3AW on Friday.
Reducing industrial lawlessness would also decrease the cost of projects.
One Nation senator Rod Culleton, whose party has a bloc of four votes, met with Employment Minister Michaelia Cash on Friday to put forward amendments to the Australian Building and Construction Commission bill, including more support for apprentices.
"It's got to be right with us before we will give it 100 per cent and say which way we are going - there's a lot more negotiation to be done," he said.
The government will also seek to pass the backpacker tax after losing a vote on its 19 per cent income tax rate for working holiday makers in the Senate this week.
Labor, the Greens and cross benchers voted in favour of a 10.5 per cent rate, but the coalition used its numbers in the lower house on Thursday to reject this and ping-pong the bill back to the Senate.
It's possible a compromise could be found as early as Monday around a 10.5 per cent rate which rises to 15 per cent over several years, which has been flagged by One Nation.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said if the government did not compromise, farmers and other industries reliant on a strong horticultural sector would suffer.
Labor leader Bill Shorten said his party was up for "sensible compromise".
"But compromise has to be involve the government giving some ground rather than simply shouting at everyone that it doesn't like," Mr Shorten said.
If the ABCC bill and backpacker tax can be finalised quickly the coalition will also seek to finalise its vocational education reforms which will overhaul student loans and get rid of shonky providers.
A thorn in the government's side could be the dispute over the Murray-Darling Basin plan.
Crossbench senator Nick Xenophon has threatened to hold up legislation until the dispute is resolved.
Senator Xenophon, who holds a crucial bloc of three Senate votes, is angry about a letter from federal Water Minister Barnaby Joyce allegedly reneging on an understanding to return 450GL to the river for its environmental health.
"We need to sort out this water mess before we sort any other pieces of legislation the government is interested in," Senator Xenophon said.
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