Marathon talks stretching from Friday through to late yesterday produced a multi-partisan agreement that will result in an independent Speaker, less gratuitous combative blather in question time, and a powerful vetting committee to examine in advance all bills deemed contentious.

Both Labor and the Liberals had to make compromises during days of behind-the-scenes arm-twisting.

The spirit of harmony was acknowledged afterwards when independents Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott, Labor's Anthony Albanese and Liberal Christopher Pyne engaged in what Mr Albanese termed ironically a ''group hug'' - the politicians patted one another's shoulders.

Mr Windsor called the moment ''almost emotional''.

The major sticking points late yesterday included an insistence by the Liberals that only one member of the new pre-legislative committee would have the power to refer bills for scrutiny - a point on which the Coalition ultimately prevailed.

This concession could form an important tactical weapon for whomever forms the next Opposition - government legislation could find itself pushed into the committee as a means of slowing down progress - although yesterday all sides played down this risk.

The Liberals had to cop a Speaker being drawn from any political party, including a government party, after first resisting that idea.

In the arm-twisting yesterday Labor also got answers to questions in question time bumped up from three minutes to Julia Gillard's preferred four minutes. Other elements of the deal include a shorter question time, a requirement that MPs, where possible, turn up without notes and the possibility for supplementary questions and answers to be contained to four minutes.

Private members' business will get more of a fair go - despite concerns by senior figures on both sides of politics that this will present major headaches in the new parliament - and the committee system will get more teeth.