The Turnbull government has pinned its hopes on changed numbers on the Senate crossbench as it prepares to dredge up a number of controversial failed policies for a second attempt in 2018.

Rejected changes to Australian citizenship, drug testing for welfare recipients and a public interest hurdle for union mergers are all back on the agenda, as the government seeks to exploit the fallout from the dual citizenship debacle, which significantly changed the make-up of the upper house.

That is in addition to the government's flagship corporate tax cuts, which it also hopes to pass.

And there are signs the government could have some success, with several key crossbenchers now indicating they are open to negotiation on contentious policies, all of which are now in the control of new ministers following the frontbench reshuffle late last year.