Controversial metadata laws to be debated in the Senate today
The Abbott government wants the laws through by the end of the week. (9NEWS)
Anti-terrorism metadata laws will be debated in the Senate with crossbenchers hopeful they can amend what one has labelled "bad law".
The Abbott government wants the laws through by the end of the week, saying they're crucial to thwart terror attacks and tackle organised crime.
The changes require telecommunication companies to keep two years worth of customer metadata for police and intelligence agency access.
Liberal Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm will join independent Nick Xenophon and the Greens in seeking tougher privacy safeguards.
Senator Leyonhjelm wants to exempt lawyer-client discussions from scrutiny and limit access to personal information by government agencies.
The laws passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support last week after the government agreed with Labor amendments to better protect journalists.
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