Parliament set for red-tape repeal: PM

Prime Minister Tony Abbott says the government will scrap 9000 regulations on a red-tape repeal day, which will free up childcare centres, cafes, schools and hospitals.

Mr Abbott said Wednesday's repeal day would be a first for the federal parliament, and was part of the government's plans to scrap $1 billion every year in red and green tape costs.

"Over 9000 regulations will be scrapped, benefiting our businesses, our schools, our hospitals and our community groups and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars from their compliance costs," he said on Sunday of the special sitting of parliament.

Mr Abbott said childcare centres were subject to 1280 pages of law, 345 pages of regulation and 1149 pages of guidelines.

"Local cafes that serve alcohol and have outdoor seating must negotiate a total of 75 sets of local, state and national regulations," he said in a statement.

"This will improve our nation's competitiveness, help to create more jobs and lower your household costs."

With parliament returning this week, a possible change in Labor's policy on the mining tax could be pounced on by the Abbott government.

The coalition's plan to abolish the minerals resource rent tax (MRRT) does not have the numbers to pass the upper house, with Labor and the Greens opposing the move.

But while campaigning ahead of the Senate election re-run in Western Australia, where there is widespread disapproval for the MRRT, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has suggested his party may be prepared to adopt a different approach down the track.

"In terms of what we do in our policies affecting the resources sector for the next election, we will engage in a dialogue with the resources sector," Mr Shorten said last week.

Also on the Senate agenda for Monday are bills to scrap the carbon tax.

On March 3 the first of the bills - to dismantle the independent Climate Change Authority - was rejected by the upper house.

Colourful Queensland MP Clive Palmer is scheduled to introduce to parliament a private member's bill to investigate the establishment of a national emergency fund that can provide speedy assistance in the event of natural disaster or industry collapse.

Mr Palmer says he has the support of other independents for the "Australian Fund", and a parliamentary committee should further investigate its viability and report back to parliament.