'Sorry saga': Government backflips on Senate estimates cuts after Coalition and crossbench team up

A draft schedule for 2023 sitting periods was released on Tuesday proposing three weeks would be carved out for the estimates process in contrast to the usual four.

Government senate leader Penny Wong said the decision had been made to reduce the number of weeks as there would be no mid-year economic and fiscal outlook this year.

But Coalition senators for a second day in question time expressed outrage at the change, which they say was made without consultation, calling those across the chamber as "transparent as a brick wall".

Opposition senate leader Simon Birmingham described the move, which would cut around 60 hours of agency grilling, as a "sorry saga".

"The attempt to axe a week of senate estimates would never have happened in the first place if the Albanese government was genuine in its claimed belief in transparency and accountability," he said.

"Imagine the Labor and Greens outrage should the tables have been turned. The outrage would have been off the Richter scale from Labor and the Greens.

"Labor's attempt to axe a week of Senate estimates, backed by the Greens, has been hypocrisy at its finest."

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Senator Birmingham said the opposition, along with crossbench senators David Pocock, Jacqui Lambie, Tammy Tyrell, Pauline Hanson, Malcolm Roberts and Ralph Babet, would not support the 2023 schedule.

After a series of fiery exchanges between the major parties on Wednesday, Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said the government would listen to the senators' complaints.

"We have responded to the feedback from the senate that they would like estimates in February so the government will agree to that," she said.

"I thank colleagues for constructively engaging where they have and we've been able to respond as much as we can to get a setting program for ... next year that meets everybody's needs, ensures that we can get the business done and and that we're responding to the wishes of the senate for an extra estimates week."

A supplementary estimates week will now be held from February 13, 2023 along with further hearings in May and October.

The government's proposed scheduled also included a number of Friday sittings, which Western Australian senators raised would affect their weekend time.

Senator Gallagher's amendments clarified Friday sitting days would only occur next year if needed.

"By having an extra working day, we are hopeful that we can reduce the requirement for senators to work 16 to 20 hour days, and sit extended hours ... which directly contributed to a poor workplace culture for staff, which we are trying to address," she said.