The federal government’s hopes of repealing the carbon tax next week appear dashed by Labor and the Greens, despite the Senate balance of power shifting.

Bills were scheduled for debate on Monday, the first day of sitting of the new Senate in which the government expects to have the numbers to axe the tax.

But the chamber is awaiting the tabling of a completed report into the bills by its environment and communications committee before going ahead with the debate.

Labor and Greens senators refused to take part in a meeting of the committee on Friday, which was expected to vote on bringing forward the tabling of the report by a week to Monday.

As soon as the committee tables its report, the new Senate would be able to debate the carbon tax repeal package, government Senate leader Eric Abetz said.

“It is time for Labor and the Greens to simply stop being parliamentary vandals,” he told AAP on Friday.

Labor and the Greens argue the Senate itself set the July 14 reporting date and there is no urgent need to change it.

The Greens have proposed a further inquiry with an October reporting date.

Environment Minister Greg Hunt said he was confident the tax would be repealed by the end of next week, with price cuts flowing “immediately” through to gas and electricity prices.

The draft legislation program for the Senate, released on Thursday, showed the carbon and mining tax bills as the first order of business after the 12 new senators are sworn in on Monday.

But the Senate notice paper has removed reference to the legislation for Monday’s program.

In the new Senate, the government holds 33 seats and needs six crossbench votes to pass legislation.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is banking on the three Palmer United Party senators, Ricky Muir from the Australian Motoring Enthusiasts Party, Family First’s Bob Day and Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm to pass the bills.

The government may also be frustrated by a motion being considered to split the package of nine bills.

This could allow the second round of compensatory tax cuts and welfare payments – which the government says are unnecessary if the carbon tax is repealed – to go ahead as originally planned by the Gillard government.

Labor in the new Senate will need the support of the 10 Greens senators as well as the crossbenchers to block the government’s program.

But Opposition Leader Bill Shorten did the party’s negotiators no favours on Friday, describing the crossbenchers as extremists and populists outside the “serious mainstream” of Australian politics.

He told a business conference in Melbourne Labor’s focus would be on preventing the government using “division and bullying” to force is its budget through the Senate.

“I believe in empowering people, drawing on their good ideas and constructing the best compromise,” he said.

The Australian Greens on Friday launched an online campaign urging voters to contact crossbench senators and ask them to delay a vote on the carbon tax repeal.

“What’s the ETS repeal rush? Senators – it’s only your first week,” the party said in a statement.

“All (the prime minister) wants is the Senate to pass his shameful repeal bill at lightning speed, before the new senators have been able to weigh up the decision carefully.”

AAP