The three rural independent MPs who hold the key to forming of the next Government of Australia – all of them ex-Nationals – will meet in Canberra late today to discuss areas of cooperation before negotiations start with the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott later this week.

The Nationals have done their rural and regional constituent base a huge disservice by supporting a Coalition policy that would dismantle the Government's National Broadband Network. And its Queensland senator Barnaby Joyce knows this better than anyone.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy expects to announce "substantial progress" in government negotiations with Telstra by Christmas, and says he expects the Nationals will back its telecommunications reform bill in the Senate in February.

The telecommunications reform bill is listed for debate in the Senate on Thursday – the last day of the parliamentary sitting year – and despite seemingly impossible time constraints, Government remains confident that it will get to a vote.

The Nationals have put on hold any decision on how to deal with proposed telecommunications regulatory changes at least until after a Senate committee reports at the end of the month.