Government senate leader Simon Birmingham has defended parliament's health safeguards as politicians converge in Canberra during coronavirus outbreaks.
There are fears a parliamentary session which starts on Tuesday could bring the disease to the virus-free ACT.
Parliament is sitting under tight health restrictions, with the public banned from Parliament House and some MPs and senators video-linking to debates from their home states.
It is expected around 85 MPs will be present in the House of Representatives and 45 to 50 senators in the upper house.
Senator Birmingham said there were extensive precautions and safeguards in place for the sitting fortnight.
"It will be a slimmed down parliament in terms of the number of parliamentarians attending, dramatically slimmed down in terms of the number of staff working in parliament house," he told ABC radio.
Senator Birmingham said extensive social distancing practices mirrored successful parliamentary sittings last year .
Manager of Opposition Business Tony Burke said restrictions at parliament were tougher than anywhere in the ACT.
He said it was essential for parliament to sit to pass legislation and apply scrutiny to Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
"When parliament's on, he has to front up every single day at question time. And question time, for all its imperfections, he has to be there, he has to front up," Mr Burke told the ABC.
"There's plenty to be asking about."
Defence Minister and Leader of the House Peter Dutton will not attend the sitting fortnight after being forced into home isolation with his family.
His sons attend a school linked to southeast Queensland's growing coronavirus outbreak, which has sent millions of people into lockdown.
While Nationals frontbencher David Gillespie is the deputy house leader, former attorney-general Christian Porter will manage government business.
Senator Birmingham said it was customary for the Liberals to fill the job when the leader of the house is absent.
Mr Dutton took over from Mr Porter after he changed jobs following decades-old rape allegations he strenuously denies.
Australian Associated Press
