Election talk set to dominate parliament

Talk of an early-July election under new Senate voting rules and lower house seat boundaries is set to dominate parliament next week.

With just seven sitting days before the May budget, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is keeping his options open on a July double-dissolution election.

A Senate committee will hold a one-day public hearing into new laws, which would change the way senators are elected, on Tuesday.

The draft laws would then be debated by senators on Wednesday, having already passed the lower house.

Experts suggest allowing voters to cast preferences "above the line" on Senate ballot papers will destroy the chances of minor party candidates from winning and entrench Labor, the coalition and the Greens.

Labor and crossbench senators are fighting the changes, which are expected to pass with the Greens' backing the coalition government.

The Senate and lower house will debate 2015 budget-related bills as well as red-tape cuts for small business.

The issue of the controversial Safe Schools program will be kept alive with the Greens seeking a Senate inquiry into bullying of gay and lesbian children.

As a report is released into the mental health of returned Australian Defence Force personnel, independent senator Jacqui Lambie will seek an inquiry into controversial defence force training methods such as "resistance to interrogation" training.

Two bills dealing with restoring the building industry watchdog, which could provide a trigger for a double dissolution election, will be the subject of a public hearing on Thursday, ahead of the final report being tabled on March 15.