PM defends scrapping integrity commitment

However, Attorney-General Michaelia Cash told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday the federal government would not progress with its proposal this term.

During Question Time on Wednesday Labor asked the prime minister why he had not brought legislation to establish an anti-corruption commission to parliament. 

Mr Morrison, who has previously "tabled" but not formally introduced, a bill to set up an anti-corruption commission said a lack of support from Labor was delaying the watchdog.

Labor frontbencher Mark Dreyfus said the opposition did not support the government's "sham" proposal. 

"Their proposal has been rejected as a sham not just by Labor but by legal and anti-corruption experts across the country … and even by some of the government's own backbenchers," he said on Wednesday. 

Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said Labor was misleading the public on the government's proposal. 

"It is very important we do not set up a body for political stunts ... of the kind we have consistently seen from (Mr Dreyfus)," he said. 

"In the design of such a scheme, it is critical we strike a balance between effectively dealing with serious corruption in the public sector while ensuring appropriate checks and balances are in place." 

Ms Haines, who brought forward her own proposal for an integrity body to parliament last year, said she was disappointed by the delay.

"The Australian people have been hearing from the Morrison government now for three years that a federal integrity commission was on the way," she told ABC Radio on Wednesday.

"There is a majority of MPs on the floor of the House of Representative who'd like to debate my bill, because there is no government bill to be debated."

Despite Liberal backbencher Bridget Archer crossing the floor last year to bring on debate on Ms Haines's proposal for the commission, it did not proceed due to a technicality.

Senator Cash told estimates the government's plan for a commission would not go ahead during this term of parliament because it was unlikely to be supported by other parties.

But Ms Haines said the government's proposal for the commission was nothing more than an exposure draft.

She criticised the government for not bringing on debate on the issue.

"It's nonsense ... because the government have numbers in the House, what they don't have is the numbers in their own ranks to support their model of an integrity commission," she said.

"I don't think anybody is buying this line that the attorney-general and the prime minister are running."

Labor backbencher Peta Murphy also questioned the government's car park scheme where $660 million was proposed for 47 commuter car parks, only six of which are operational three years on.

"An auditor-general's report found 77 per cent of these projects were pledged to coalition seats at the last election. Instead of wasting taxpayer money on rorts, why hasn't the prime minister done his job and legislated for a national anti-corruption commission?" she asked during Question Time.

Mr Fletcher said the government had invested in projects that were needed in Australian communities.