MPs arrive for party meetings

Labor frontbencher Chris Bowen does not expect the party's heavily-criticised election campaign to be the subject of much attention when government MPs and senators meet in Canberra on Thursday.

The Labor caucus is holding its first meeting since the August 21 poll minus about a score of its members from the previous parliament.

Liberal MPs and senators also are meeting in Parliament House with their numbers swelled by an election that produced Australia's first hung parliament in 70 years.

Mr Bowen said the caucus would discuss how Labor was planning to form a stable minority government, supported by the Australian Greens and three independents.

"That will be the focus of the caucus today and the members of the ministry," he told ABC Radio.

Mr Bowen defended the performance of ALP national secretary Karl Bitar who many in the party see as being responsible largely for the party's poor campaigning.

"The campaign was difficult in many instances, we had many difficult issues to respond to during the campaign."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott arrived at Parliament House by bike following an early-morning ride.

"It's going to be an interesting day," he told reporters.

The Liberal meeting will re-elect its party leaders unopposed, after frontbencher Andrew Robb opted not to run against deputy Julie Bishop.

That decision pleased one of his colleagues, Christopher Pyne, who said most MPs and senators did not want to see a change in the leadership.

"We've had a good team and we need to continue with that team," he said.

Labor frontbencher Simon Crean said minority government would require a different approach.

"We will be seeking to get support for our positions," he told ABC Radio.

"If we can't get that support we will have to negotiate other positions."

Mr Crean, who presently holds the education and workplace relations portfolios, said he was looking forward to being an active participant and negotiator in the new Gillard government.

Opposition frontbencher Joe Hockey continued to play up confusion between Treasurer Wayne Swan and Independent MP Tony Windsor over Labor's proposed mining tax.

Mr Windsor and a second country Independent backing Labor, Rob Oakeshott, have said they want a resource rent tax discussed during a summit they negotiated for the Henry tax review.

Mr Swan has said the government is proceeding with its plan to introduce legislation for the 30 per cent minerals resource rent tax, negotiated with big miners before the election.

"The traffic light coalition of red, green and amber independents is already flashing a warning sign to the Australian people," he told reporters.

"That is, if the government can't deliver on its mining tax, it's going to have a $10.5 billion hole in its own budget.

The problem was structural, Mr Hockey said, not just a teething problem.

"I'd give them a healthy dose of Bonjela and suggest to them that a Panadol is not going to solve their problems," he said.

"They have a structural problem when they can't agree with each other."