Senator flags amendments to metadata laws

Senate crossbencher David Leyonhjelm will attempt to amend draft metadata laws, warning new powers will allow the government to spy on its citizens.

The Liberal Democrat will join independent Nick Xenophon and the Greens in seeking tougher privacy safeguards when government legislation is debated in the upper house this week.

Senator Leyonhjelm says collection of metadata is wrong in principle and practice.

He wants to exempt lawyer-client discussions from scrutiny and to limit access to personal information by government agencies.

"I'll try to make it less bad, but even if my amendments succeed ... it will still be bad law," he told reporters in Canberra on Monday.