Turnbull pressures Senate over watchdog

Voters could go to an early election as a fresh bid by the Turnbull government to reinstate the building industry watchdog looks set to fail.

The government used the first sitting day of parliament for the year to reintroduce its previously rejected bills to bring back the Australian Building and Construction Commission.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the body as not only important to restore law and order in the construction industry but a test of Labor leader Bill Shorten's leadership and critical to the national economy.

"It is good for the economy, it's good for workers, it's good for the members of the unions," he told parliament.

One of the biggest drivers of jobs in the country did not need "intimidation, thuggery and job-destroying industrial conflict", as identified in the unions royal commission report.

Mr Turnbull earlier told coalition MPs a double-dissolution election before August, based on parliament rejecting the ABCC bills for a second time, was a "live option".

However, he said it was reasonable to expect an election would be held between August and October when it was due.

Labor abolished the ABCC because it unfairly targeted workers in one industry and had a "star chamber" ability to compel witnesses.

With Labor and the Greens firmly opposed to the bills, the government needs six of eight crossbench senators to pass them.

Family First senator Bob Day and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm have said they will back the government.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon said he would reserve his position on the bill, but would not respond to threats of a possible double-dissolution election.

"Rather than talking about threats, we need to analyse the legislation to see if it will work," he told Sky News.

Independent senator John Madigan wants a broader anti-corruption body, outraged over the government "holding a gun" to his head over an early election.

Another independent senator, Glenn Lazarus, wants a confidential volume of the Heydon royal commission report publicly released, but the government says it must remain secret to protect witnesses and their families.

However, Employment Minister Michaelia Cash on Monday night offered a viewing of the report only if notes are not taken, the information is not passed on to third parties and a government official is present.

Labor and the Greens rejected the offer.

"Offering to brief selective parliamentarians about a report which the government purports to rely on to justify this legislation is a contempt of parliament," shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said.

Independent senator Ricky Muir has accepted the offer to view the report, saying he would vote based on "all relevant information".

Other crossbenchers Jacqui Lambie and Dio Wang are weighing up their support, but Senator Lambie is seeking to trade off other legislation including Medicare changes.