Senators will split in fair way: Brandis

The government's leader in the Senate has glossed over reports the major parties are looking at a deal to freeze out Pauline Hanson and other crossbenchers.

After a double-dissolution election, half the senators are allocated six-year terms and half get just three years.

The coalition and Labor are discussing using a little-known provision to relegate Ms Hanson, Jacqui Lambie, Derryn Hinch, Nick Xenophon's colleagues and some Greens to short-term status, the Australian Financial Review said on Tuesday.

George Brandis said these matters would be dealt with "in due course" after constitutional precedents were studied.

"Whatever is the fairest way of dividing the Senate into the short-term and long-term senators, I am sure is what will occur," he told ABC radio.

After previous double dissolutions, senators have had their term determined by the number of votes they won, with those attracting the most getting the longer term.

Under countback provisions, what they would have won in a regular half-Senate election would decide the issue.

This means senators such as Ms Hanson and Senator Lambie, who won enough votes to achieve the double-dissolution's reduced quota, would only be deemed to have half a quota and thus face re-election in 2019.