Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes his government will be able to work with whoever replaces Nick Xenophon in the Senate.
Senator Xenophon announced his shock decision on Friday, saying he was leaving the federal upper house to stand in next year's South Australian election.
"I am confident that when Nick retires from the Senate, whoever replaces him, we will work with the new senator just as we have with all of those who are there today," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
He said that despite a broad cross bench, the Senate had passed more of the government's legislation since the last election than it had in the whole of the previous parliament.
How Senator Xenophon's replacement is chosen will hinge on the High Court's decision over whether the senator was eligible to stand in the 2016 election.
He is one of six senators and one MP whose citizenship status has been brought into question.
Even so, Mr Turnbull's Senate team might find it is still dealing with Senator Xenophon, even if he is not in Canberra.
The departing senator told Sky News he still expects to be involved in federal policy decision-making through the sitting members of the Nick Xenophon Team.
But he does expect NXT will eventually change its name, even if his parliamentary colleagues like the brand.
"I've always said that it needs to transition to something other than the Nick Xenophon team," he said.
