BLOCKING debate on creating a national anti-corruption body is not a sign the federal government has "something to hide", the member for Indi believes.
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Helen Haines was commenting after she was gagged from introducing a bill to the Lower House to form a national integrity commission.
She had been the seconder for the bill, previously passed in the Senate, which the government on Thursday declared would not be debated in the House of Representatives.
Despite that action, Dr Haines does not accept it represents a government being willfully secretive.
"I don't come to this with the view the government has something to hide," she said.
"That's not my starting point, my starting point is that the government has got a bill and the government needs to deliver what it promised."
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Dr Haines was referring to the government's own proposal for a Commonweath Integrity Commission which has been subject to public feedback but not been brought to Parliament for consideration.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said last month that legislation for a corruption watchdog had been delayed because of the coronavirus.
Dr Haines said that was not justifiable.
"While everyone accepts there is heavy lifting around COVID, we can't use COVID as an excuse not to do legislation," she said.
The Indi MP was on Friday part of a webinar run by The Australia Institute thinktank with the theme Safeguarding Our Democracy.
Dr Haines told participants that the government had sought the public's trust in tackling COVID-19 but there needed to be a return.
"That level of trust and transparency that we gave so willing is a two-way street and it is time that we should be calling for a federal integrity commission by way of repaying that trust," Dr Haines said.
She urged voters to put pressure on their MPs to have an anti-corruption body,
