Govt gives up on ABCC double dissolution

The Turnbull government appears to have given up on using the Senate's rejection of bills to restore the building industry watchdog as a double-dissolution election trigger.

A notice of motion in the Senate on Thursday shows manager of government business Mitch Fifield will move to extend sitting hours when parliament resumes on March 15.

The government's Senate voting reforms will take precedence over all else, while the remainder of the bills on the list are largely non-controversial.

But draft laws to re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission are noticeably absent.

"By our reading, the ABCC bill won't be a potential double-dissolution trigger because it won't be brought before the Senate for a second time before the budget," Greens leader Richard Di Natale said.

It comes after the Senate in February potentially robbed the government of using the bill as a double-dissolution trigger.

Labor, the Greens and crossbenchers joined forces to send the legislation to an inquiry by a Senate committee due to report back on March 15 - just two days before parliament rises for the pre-budget break.

Parliament resumes on budget day on May 10 - the day before a constitutional deadline expires on any double-dissolution of the two chambers.

The government already has a valid trigger in the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Amendment Bill, which aims to hike penalties for union corruption.

It originally wanted the Senate to vote on the building industry watchdog by March 3.

An election of the lower house and full Senate could be held in early July if the prime minister decided to call it on May 11.

But it would require the parliament to pass an interim budget bill.