Govt 'happy' to give Hanson committee spot

Pauline Hanson has won a spot on a parliamentary committee despite the majority of senators voting against her appointment.

The coalition government has removed one of its own senators from the joint committee on the national broadband network to make way for Senator Hanson.

The move came hours after the Senate on Tuesday chose Nick Xenophon Team senator Stirling Griff to join the committee instead of Senator Hanson, thanks to the support of Labor and the Greens.

The government's deputy leader in the Senate, Mathias Cormann, later moved that Nationals senator John "Wacka" Williams be discharged from the committee and replaced by Senator Hanson.

A spokesman for Senator Williams said the government was "happy" for Senator Hanson to become a committee member.

"Senator Williams was happy to facilitate this," he said.

He said Nationals MP Andrew Broad remained a member of the committee.

Senator Hanson and her three One Nation colleagues form a powerful bloc in the upper house.

The coalition has 30 seats in the Senate and needs nine extra votes to pass bills and motions.

Senator Hanson said she was awarded the seat after discussions with Senate colleagues in which she successfully advocated for a greater crossbench presence.

She said she was pleased the government was living up to its commitment to work with One Nation.

"Regional Australians feel under-represented and I have committed to ensuring the level of their telecommunications and internet services continue to improve," she said.

"The Nationals were happy to do what was necessary for me to join them on the committee and see improvements."

Senator Hanson said she had witnessed technology that superseded the NBN.

"I intend to showcase these technologies and hope the committee considers adopting these advances as part of the NBN rollout," she said.

Manager of government Senate business Mitch Fifield said the government was glad to accommodate crossbenchers keen to be on the committee.

"We're in the business of trying to have the parliament work well," he told ABC radio.

Ms Hanson's pay isn't expected to get a bump-up thanks to the new gig.