Scott Morrison's tax reform unit is reaching out to the Liberal backbench and will hold a series of meetings with at least a dozen MPs in the coming week as the government works on a range of tax reform options.
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And at the same time, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told his party room on Tuesday - as first revealed by Fairfax Media - that they should expect to be campaigning within six months, that is, by August, ahead of a federal poll in September.
However, he added that a double dissolution remained a "live option" if the Senate crossbench would not pass a pair of industrial relations bills that would re-establish the Australian Building and Construction Commission [ABCC] and separately, a Registered Organisations Commission to monitor and improve union governance.
The last date a double dissolution can be called is May 11, and it must not be held any later than July 16.
In a double dissolution, all 76 senators face voters, which means just half a normal quota is required, which increases the chances of minor parties winning seats - an outcome the government would not look favourably on.
The meetings between the tax-unit staffers and MPs come as the government considers a range of options for tax reform, including raising the GST to 15 per cent, changes to the tax treatment of super at the point at which it is paid in, as well as changes to workplace deductions and a range of other loopholes in the system.
Mr Morrison is determined to be as consultative as possible with Liberal MPs and the meetings are designed to take the temperature of the party room, take feedback on reform proposals and answer questions as the tax reform package is developed.
Some Liberal MPs contacted by Fairfax Media said there was considerable disquiet, though it did not raise its head in the party room on Tuesday, about the prospect of a GST rise among two groups of backbenchers.
The first group are those who strongly favour small government and the second are those scared of losing their marginal seat.
"It's fine that all options are on the table, but the backbench is increasingly unified about this," the MP said.
"Scott [Morrison] is determined to raise the GST, he wants to be the Treasurer who delivers big reform...we are relying on the PM to listen to the backbench.
"I think Malcolm has an open mind on this."
Mr Turnbull effectively pre-empted discussion in the party room among MPs about an increase in the GST, telling colleagues - as he has said publicly - that no decision has been taken on whether to proceed with a rise in the consumption tax and that everything remained on the table.
Liberal Party federal director Tony Nutt told the party room the Coalition needed to "set the terms" of public debate about key election issues such as tax reform and warned if they did not, Labor would.
He added that the Coalition had to "beat the French", a reference to the defeat of Napoleon at the battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The ABCC bill re-entered the lower house on Tuesday morning but is not yet a double dissolution trigger, whereas the Registered Organisations bill has already been rejected twice.
Crossbench senators have been offered access to the so-called secret chapters of the Royal Commission report into trade union corruption.
After demanding similar access to the document, Labor knocked back an offer for its Legal Affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus to view the document.
Independent senator John Madigan said he would not be bullied by a double dissolution threat, while fellow independent Jacquie Lambie said she was not concerned about the threat.
Greens MP Adam Bandt accused the government of "trying to threaten members of the crossbench".
"You can't ask people to vote on a piece of legislation unless you are going to put all the facts in front of them," he said.
Both major parties are well advanced in setting up the party headquarters they will use on polling day and key campaign appointments, such as advertising teams and political operatives, have been made.
