Prime Minister Tony Abbott has acknowledged the past week in the Senate has been a difficult one, but is putting the blame on Labor, not the Palmer United Party (PUP).
The Government is hoping to re-introduce its carbon repeal legislation in the Lower House next week after the PUP voted with Labor and the Greens in the Senate to block it.
The Coalition is working with the PUP over the weekend to ensure its amendments meet constitutional requirements and that penalties for not passing on savings are limited to gas and electricity entities.
Mr Abbott told a Liberal National Party conference in Brisbane today that it is Labor that is keeping the Government from fulfilling its commitment to scrap the tax.
"When you look at things in the Senate, sure, Mr Palmer has three senators, but Mr Shorten has 25 and we know that Mr Palmer will change his mind come Monday but Bill Shorten will still be there supporting putting your power prices up," he said.
Sloppy policy or worthy amendments?
"I heard the leader of the Labor Party in the week saying 'I just wish Tony Abbott would keep his commitments'.
"Well, that's exactly what I'm trying to do."
But two Senate crossbenchers, Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm and Family First's Bob Day, say they cannot support the amendments.
Senator Leyonhjelm says the obligations are too onerous.
"I don't like Big Brother compliance regimes," he said.
"The ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission) already has enough power to do what it needs to do to protect consumers."
Both men say they would consider voting against the repeal legislation if it contains the PUP amendments.
The blocking of the repeal bill caused chaos in the Senate on Thursday, with Mr Palmer claiming he and his senators had been "double-crossed" by the Coalition.
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