MP proposes having less parliamentary work

One of the federal government's assistant ministers believes the 19 weeks MPs and senators need to be in Canberra for parliament a year should be reduced.

His comments come in the wake of Labor frontbencher Kate Ellis' decision to quit politics at the next election to spend more time with her son.

"(MPs) don't often need to be in Canberra to do some of that (electorate and portfolio) work and I think our parliamentary work can be reduced to a much more productive set of time," Alex Hawke told ABC radio on Friday.

Cabinet minister Christopher Pyne, who will have been in parliament 24 years on Monday, said there are a lot more women in parliament now than when he arrived.

"Of course we want to encourage more women into parliament and I always encourage women in preselections within the Liberal Party," he told the Nine Network.

"We want more women. They do change politics. They do make it less adversarial. They tend to be more practical in many respects."

Mr Pyne cited Margaret Thatcher who said: "If you want something said, ask a man, if you want something done, ask a woman."

He wished Ms Ellis well for the future, saying it was hard not to like her.