Liberal MP Sussan Ley will on Monday introduce legislation to ban the sheep trade to the Middle East and is confident her private bill already has the support of two government colleagues.

"I, in some ways, compare this to the gay marriage debate, where several private member's bills were tabled over the years and they didn't provide the immediate response, but they were all part of building the case," Ms Ley told ABC radio on Monday.

"This has been really a trade marked by disaster-following-debacle and that's gone on for 33 years."

Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon will be recommending to his shadow cabinet that the opposition support the bill.

"I have no doubt the bill reflects the view of the broader Labor Party," he said.

He is hopeful, if Labor can restore its numbers to 69 in the lower house following a series of by-elections, and with the support of Liberal MP Sarah Henderson who has broken ranks, the bill will get 71 votes.

Then, only five more are needed to secure an absolute majority and three of those could be found on the crossbench, Mr Fitzgibbon said.

The Australian Greens also believe there could be the numbers to pass the legislation.

The government has rejected Ms Ley's bill, but will introduce its own this week to slap harsh new penalties on exporters doing the wrong thing, including jail sentences of up to 10 years.

It followed a review into the live sheep trade prompted by footage of sheep dying in their own filth in horrific conditions during Middle-East bound voyages.

Australian Associated Press