Your right to know: Canberra MPs pledge to push for transparency

Australia's major media outlets have united under the Right to Know Coalition to call for changes to safeguard public sector whistleblowers and stop journalists from being jailed for doing their job.

Attorney-General Christian Porter invoked the UK's News of the World phone hacking scandal when explaining why journalists should not be given extra protections from prosecution.

"There have been instances where journalists have gone too far. And that United Kingdom example is one of those and there just shouldn't be a blanket exemption because of someone's belonging to a profession," Mr Porter told radio station 6PR on Thursday.

Australian Taxation Office Commissioner Chris Jordan also used parliamentary privilege to spray both the press and whistleblowers Richard Boyle and Ron Shamir, during Senate estimates on Wednesday.

Mr Jordan said the reporting around Mr Boyle's court case was "deliberately sensationalist" and urged the media to use its "substantial powers for influence with much greater accuracy and faithfulness to the facts".

"Where they don't, we believe people have a right to know," Mr Jordan warned. His comments may be expunged from Hansard over fears they could prejudice court proceedings.

But Labor frontbencher and ACT senator Katy Gallagher said the government needed to quickly bring forward legislation to improve transparency and accountability laws.

"Transparency and open access to government information was something I worked hard on to promote as Chief Minister," Senator Gallagher said.

"After coming into federal politics I have been shocked at the lengths this government will go to, to hide information and abuse accountability mechanisms.

"I will be doing what I can from the opposition benches to shine a light on this and hold the Morrison government to account."

Labor MP for the south Canberra seat of Bean, Dave Smith said it was "critical that the general public has confidence that decisions are being taken in the national interest and the interests of our local community and that they are subject to appropriate scrutiny".

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"I have spent my most of my life in Canberra, and have spent the whole of my career working in and around government," Mr Smith said.

"Like so many in the capital I comprehend the role of our public service in building a better society and understand the importance of a professional public service that serves the government, the Parliament and the public.

"This government has also worked to undermine their own workforce through the uncertainty and instability of relentless outsourcing and labour hire. Expertise across all levels of government has been eroded. The growth of conflicts of interest at every level in the public service has been led by a government that has effectively shredded a meaningful Ministerial Code of Conduct."

Canberra Labor MP Alicia Payne said press freedom was fundamental to the health of Australian democracy.

"Canberrans have been horrified to see their ABC and other journalists raided and held in legal limbo simply for reporting on the work of the Morrison government," Ms Payne said.

"Although the Prime Minister and his Cabinet are working hard to foster political disengagement by not answering questions and increasing secrecy, we must remind ourselves constantly that the Australian government makes decisions in the name of the Australian people - and in all but the most classified segments of national security, the Australian people have a right to know about these decisions."

Labor MP for Fenner, Andrew Leigh told parliament on Monday accountability was not a "bubble issue".

"Nine out of 10 Australians tell survey researchers they value transparency. Only four out of ten say it's happening right now," Mr Leigh said.

"This is not a campaign for self-interested journalists. It's a campaign for democracy, for the right of every Australian to know the truth."

ACT Senator Zed Seselja's office failed to response to a request for comment.