Xenophon poised to buy Pyne's plane ticket

Nick Xenophon is ready to hand his own credit card over to pay for a flight for Industry Minister Christopher Pyne to attend an overseas steel industry meeting.

Outside a Flight Centre in Adelaide, the independent senator told reporters he'd pay for an economy class ticket to Brussels from his own pocket to get the minister to Monday's meeting.

Senator Xenophon said it was not good enough for the government to send Assistant Minister Karen Andrews to Belgium to the OECD steel symposium.

"If he's fair dinkum about standing up for our steel industry he needs to be at this high level meeting," he told reporters on Friday.

South Australia is facing thousands of job losses after Whyalla's steel maker Arrium was placed into voluntary administration.

Australia's steel industry has long complained about government inaction in the face of a slump in prices and a surge of cheaper imports from China.

Federal Labor is calling for the mandatory use of Australian steel on all major government projects to protect the industry.

Senator Xenophon said the situation was an "international crisis" and urged Mr Pyne join deputy prime ministers and other ministers at the meeting.

"Just to help him along, I've got an itinerary ready to go for him, and I'm willing to pay for his economy class ticket," he said.

"I'm sure the House of Representatives can go without him for a day or two."

Mr Pyne, who is also the leader of the lower house, is due to be in Canberra on Monday when parliament is recalled for a special sitting.

The parliament will deal with legislation to abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal, a bill to reinstate the building industry watchdog and one to crack down on unions.

If the latter two aren't passed, voters will head to an early election on July 2.