Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane believes he does not need Labor to pass major reductions to Australia's renewable energy target and can secure a deal with the crossbench.
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In an interview with Fairfax Media, Mr Macfarlane said "I'm confident that we can get six crossbenchers" to support the government's position, which is for a large-scale target of 32,000 gigawatt hours of annual renewable energy production by 2020.
There was some hope earlier this week that a compromise might be reached between the government and opposition after the Clean Energy Council suggested a compromise that would cut the target to 33,500.
While Mr Macfarlane says "I'm not going to accept a number higher than 32" he left the door open to Labor to put a figure on the table.
"[Labor's environment spokesman] Mark Butler says he places great heed in what the CEC says so we'll be testing that," Mr Macfarlane said.
"Our other option, which we're pursuing more actively at the moment, is getting six crossbenchers."
Mr Macfarlane said securing the support of the crossbench was more complex than pursuing a deal with Labor because it would likely involve "segregation" between different types of renewable energy.
Independent senator Nick Xenophon, for instance, wants industries such as solar to be given priority over wind energy.
The clean energy industry has rejected the idea of a deal with the crossbench because investment certainty hangs on bipartisan support for any target.
Mr Macfarlane hosed down concerns that time was running out for the government to break the deadlock because companies liable under the RET would soon have to pay their liability for 2015.
He said he expected many to submit requests for an exemption from April 1 and from there the regulator had 30 to 45 days to assess their request.
The minister added that if negotiations were not complete within that timeframe, the government could consider legislation that would retrospectively pay back money to emitters that might be exempt under any new deal.
"So we still have plenty of time," he said.
The uncertainty over Australia's target has existed since the government appointed businessman and climate sceptic Dick Warburton to review it more than a year ago.
The government's first offer last year was to reduce the target from the existing 41,000 gigawatt hours to a so-called "true 20 per cent" of energy production, which would be about 26,000 gigawatt hours a year.
It has since increased that figure, first to 31,000 and now to 32,000.
"The Coalition has moved three times on this, it's simply ridiculous to ask us to go further," Mr Macfarlane said.
"It's not going to happen.
"I'm confident that we can get six crossbenchers, we're already well on the way for that."
But Senator Xenophon said the government had some work ahead of it.
"I expect that there will be negotiations in coming weeks but it's a very fraught situation," he said.
He said he expected the government to adopt a strong target, but his greater concern was for what forms of renewable energy were used.
"If the government is saying they're not going to budge, what's the point in negotiating?" he said.
"I hope [Mr Macfarlane] doesn't adopt the Christopher Pyne school of negotiating."
