Parliament sitting less than campaign

Federal MPs will be in Canberra for less time this year than the lengthy eight-week election campaign.

They will return to the capital on August 30 for what is the first of seven parliamentary sitting weeks.

Parliament will wrap up for the year on December 1.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann insisted the government is getting on with business and hitting the ground running.

He told Sky News vote counting for the Senate will continue for some time, ahead of the return of the writs on August 8.

"Soon thereafter parliament will return and we'll get back into the usual pattern and that is the way you'd expect it to happen," he said.