By Zac de Silva and Tess Ikonomou in Canberra

Delaying changes to strengthen Australia’s social media laws will give big tech companies time to “shred documents” and prepare their case, the communications minister claims.

In the final sitting day before parliament breaks for more than a month, the federal government will introduce legislation giving the eSafety commissioner extra powers and increasing fines, along with a bill cracking down on gambling ads.

Neither bill will pass parliament on Thursday, with debate on the two resuming when politicians return to Canberra in August.

Communications Minister Anika Wells said the social media laws were urgent, despite the coalition and Greens teaming up to delay the reforms by sending it to an eight-week inquiry.

“I’m crestfallen,” she told ABC Radio on Thursday.

“Angus Taylor has decided to walk away from bipartisanship and he should explain why he would make such a craven and expedient decision.”

The communications minister said the opposition should front up as to why it was giving big tech an opportunity to prepare their case for “500-word” legislation that isn’t complex.

“Eight more weeks to get their ducks in a row, potentially eight weeks to shred documents now that they know these changes are coming,” she said.

Ms Wells also defended changes to gambling laws from critics who argue they do not go far enough as they would not stop inducements such as bonus bets.

She said parents had the ability to prevent their children from being exposed to gambling ads on free to air television by watching programs through a streaming service.

Liberal MPs plan to spend the next five weeks selling their proposal for permanent year-on-year tax cuts in a bid to build their profile with voters and push back against One Nation.

Party officials are optimistic parliament’s long winter break will give them room to make Australians more aware of their policy proposals, helping them cut through and reverse their dire political fortunes.

The coalition ends the first half of the parliamentary year trailing Labor and One Nation on a record low 17 per cent primary vote according to Newspoll, with some MPs beginning to chatter about Angus Taylor’s long-term leadership prospects.

Liberal MPs needed to focus on building a narrative voters could relate to, opposition treasury spokesman Tim Wilson told AAP.

“What should our focus be? It should be building out the policy frameworks, to have a story to tell Australians about how we’re going to build a more bright and hopeful Liberal future,” he said.

News all day, every day at CityNewsQBN.com.au.