Federal Parliament takes another step towards changing the Senate voting rules today with a brief committee hearing.

Key points: Labor argued the Government is trying to rush the Senate changes through

Labor argued the Government is trying to rush the Senate changes through The Greens support the changes, but Labor has tried to pressure them to at least delay the process

The Greens support the changes, but Labor has tried to pressure them to at least delay the process There are only six parliamentary sitting days until the budget, and the day after that is the deadline for calling a double dissolution

Labor and most crossbenchers have opposed the plan and have already tried to drag out and delay the process.

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While Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is keeping his election options open — he said he expects it will be held in the normal way in August, September or October.

But Labor argued the Government is trying to rush the Senate changes through because it wants to call a double dissolution election in July using the new voting rules.

A Parliamentary committee hearing will take evidence this morning on the plan.

But Labor's Stephen Conroy denounced it as impossibly rushed.

"This is actually like going back in time to the 1950s in Stalin's Russia," Senator Conroy told the Upper House last night.

"The sham fraudulent hearing that I have to sit through.

"We are being asked to conduct an inquiry without even an opportunity to read all the submissions yet, that is how farcical this process has become."

Independent Ricky Muir backed the criticism.

"Due to the compressed timeline and the controversial nature of the bill, the resources of the drafting office and Parliamentary Library are overstretched," Senator Muir said.

"I am concerned that my crossbench colleagues will not be able to move any necessary amendments due to research and drafting constraints."

'You are the turkeys voting for early Christmas', Conroy says

The Greens support the changes, but Labor has tried to pressure them to at least delay the process.

The Opposition argued there are anomalies, particularly that a vote would be formal if someone numbers six boxes above the line, but informal if they voted the same way below the line.

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Senator Conroy will lead the charge against the Greens saying their senators would be likely to lose their seats in a double dissolution.

"You are the turkeys voting for early Christmas," he said.

"They have given you the opportunity to march yourselves up to the guillotine and you have leapt into bed with them."

He argued the Government wants these changes through quickly so it can wipe out the crossbenchers in a double dissolution conducted under the new rules.

But he warned the Greens one of the triggers it would use is the bill to scrap the clean energy finance corporation that they support.

"Nobody but the Greens will be responsible for allowing the vandals on that side of the chamber to wipe out the clear energy finance corporation," Senator Conroy said.

Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson is unmoved by the Labor pressure.

"The genuineness of their comments Mr acting deputy president would bring a tear to a glass eye," he said.

"We have campaigned on this consistently for years because we think it is good for democracy."

There are only six parliamentary sitting days until the budget, and the day after that is the deadline for calling a double dissolution.

Labor's Sam Dastyari accused the Government of gloating about it.

"Government MPs, Government Ministers are walking the halls openly saying we have what we need to be able to go to a double dissolution on the second of July, or the ninth of July, or the sixteenth of July" he said.

But that timetable would be risky because it is much longer than a normal election campaign, stretching for seven to nine weeks rather than the usual five and making it much more costly for the parties.

It would also mean there would be no time to pass the budget so the Government would need a special supply bill to be passed.

Labor has already indicated it would not stand in the way but there is some expectation the angry crossbenchers might try to complicate that with tactical manoeuvres.

The crossbench senators are infuriated that they are likely to lose their jobs if the rules change and there is a double dissolution.

Liberal Democrat Senator David Leyonhjelm has in his own ways defended the minor party players.

"I've seen it seriously suggested that Senator Lazarus is not fit to be a senator because he eats too much McDonald's or perhaps because he doesn't return calls or keep appointments," he argued.

"I've heard it said that Senator Lambie is not fit to be a Senator because she has some strange views and gets angry.

"The only reason others are not criticised on the same grounds is because they are protected by a large party."