Liberal senator Zed Seselja got the jump in early April by bypassing negotiations with the ACT government to promise $11.4 million in federal funds for the Bruce venue.

Closed to major sporting and live entertainment events since 2020, the AIS Arena has been used since September 2021 as a COVID-19 mass vaccination hub.

Labor Senator Katy Gallagher, who's been shown in recent Climate 200-commissioned polling as potentially losing a significant vote to independents, has told The Canberra Times the Coalition offering is not enough to finish the AIS Arena job.

"You can pour in $11.4 million to make it safe, but you can actually add in a bit more and make it usable," she said.

"So we want people to be able to use the arena. We want artists to want to come to Canberra and use the arena and we want people to have a good time when they're there and from our working with ACT government their advice to us is that's what it'll take."

"And it'll mean you'll probably get a few more years out of it while people work out what to do for the long term."

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Senator Seselja had explained the Coalition would "fully fund" the upgrade works. He said the federal money was found after the 2022 budget but before the government entered caretaker mode.

He decided to bypass stalled negotiations with the ACT government, with Senator Seselja stating it was not "really willing to come to the table". The ACT government had accused the Morrison government of allowing the AIS Arena to deteriorate.

The Labor plan includes upgrades to fire safety, seating, lighting, toilets and other facilities, while improving disabled access and other amenities across the AIS precinct.

Senator Gallagher said the money pledged was "all federal" as "this would be us taking responsibility for a facility that the Commonwealth owns".

"We'd be looking at 12 to 18 months to get it right in shape to reopen," Ms Gallagher said.

"So we've still got a fair bit of time there considering how long it's been closed. But the Commonwealth has really abrogated their responsibilities for a facility that they own here and it will take some time to make it right."

With both major parties committing to funding the reopening of the AIS Arena, it secures a permanent home back to the ACT's top national sporting team, the Canberra Capitals.

"It's a modest investment, really, and affordable in that regard. And it's the quickest way to get an indoor arena open again," she said.

"This has been on the agenda before I was Chief Minister, you know, what to do about sporting facilities and indoor entertainment venues and all of these big, big issues that need to be worked upon for the national capital. And I would say you have to have a government that's interested in doing that with the ACT."

Redbridge polling commissioned by Climate 200, published on Friday, points to independent candidates taking a significant bite being taken out of Senator Gallagher's vote and that of Greens candidate Tjanara Goreng Goreng.

In the "robocall" poll of 1064 people on April 23 and April 24, Senator Gallagher was shown to be leading the race, but was below the seat quota of 33 per cent, with 27 per cent of the vote. That's down from her polling of 35 per cent last month, and the 2019 result of 39.3 per cent.

Senator Seselja was shown below the quota steady at 25 per cent of the redistributed primary vote, while independent candidate David Pocock was now polling at 21 per cent overall.

The polling shows Mr Pocock would receive the highest percentage of second preferences at 24 per cent, while Senator Gallagher would get 23 per cent.