Services Australia, National Disability Insurance Agency contracts with Synergy 360 should be referred to the National Anti Corruption Committee, interim parliamentary report finds

The audit committee has been probing procurement processes at the agencies related to the consulting firm and Mr Robert, a former Government Services Minister.

But Coalition members of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit have dissented, arguing it is "not the role of the Committee" to make the referral.

"Concerning evidence has been received raising serious allegations and questions about financial impropriety, improper relationships and undisclosed conflicts of interest with parties receiving contracts from the Commonwealth," the committee's chair, Labor MP Julian Hill wrote in the foreword of the interim report.

"Some matters raised in the allegations were established in public hearings and corroborated by other evidence though many remain unresolved."

Evidence provided to the committee under parliamentary privilege by Anthony Daly alleged the firm had been restructured in September 2017 to facilitate the "flow of funds" to Mr Robert.

Mr Daly is the ex-husband of Khamphone Xaysavanh, a co-founder of Synergy 360.

He alleged this was done by giving United Marketing, a company owned by John Margerison, a 20 per cent stake in the company. Mr Margerison is a Liberal Party fundraiser who is "understood to be a long-time friend and business partner" of Mr Robert.

Mr Daly alleged the arrangement was set up in exchange for the Liberal MP's "political influence and connections".

Mr Robert rejected the allegations, describing them as "wild", "simply not believable" and "outrageous".

Mr Robert, Mr Margerison, Synergy 360 principal Mr David Milo and Ms Xaysavanh all strongly reject Mr Daly's allegations.

The committee "has not been provided with direct evidence of financial liabilities owed or payments occurring from Synergy 360" to entities to the benefit of Mr Robert.

In his foreword, Mr Hill wrote that efforts "in this direction have been frustrated though as despite multiple requests being made for documents, witnesses have refused to respond to questions in full or provide documents and Mr Margerison claims to have left Australia".

Mr Hill also noted "previously undisclosed meetings" between Mr Robert, Synergy 360 and Infosys, "including during a tender process and when Infosys was being performance managed by Services Australia".

"There is no evidence of probity advisors or public servants being present at 11 meetings, no contemporaneous notes or records of what was discussed made available, no apparent declaration of any conflicts of interest being made, and no evidence that other bidders or vendors unrelated to Synergy 360 were accorded similar treatment or access."

Mr Robert, Mr Margerison, Mr Milo and others strongly deny any improper conduct.

The interim report found the committee was unable make findings in relation to the "truth or otherwise" of allegations raised by Mr Daly because of a lack of resources, including forensic accounting expertise.

The matter should therefore be referred to the NACC, Labor and Greens members agreed.

"A referral to the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) by a Parliamentary Committee should never be made lightly; however, in these circumstances there appears no other appropriate course of action," the interim report reads.

"This conclusion informs the Committee's recommendation, understanding that ultimately it is entirely a decision for the NACC whether to commence a formal investigation and whether adequate resources should be devoted necessary to fully understand these matters."

In response to the interim report, Mr Robert called it a "farce" and "obviously transparent political payback".

"A Labor dominated committee using parliamentary privilege and process to even up political scores and using the NACC as a political weapon. Who would have thought?" he said in a statement.

"A committee that has received zero evidence, used stolen emails and relied on a rambling incoherent testimony that is refuted, in writing, by every other witness, by every document and by every date that he got wrong."

But Coalition members wrote that the "appropriate response" to corruption allegations made before a committee should be to "write to the submitter advising them on how they can directly refer their allegations to the NACC".

This dissenting report was signed by Coalition members Linda Reynolds, Matthew Canavan, Henry Pike, Ian Goodenough and Aaron Violi.

"... it is not the role of the Committee to request that the NACC conduct an investigation into any matter," it stated.

Responding to this in the House of Representatives on Wednesday morning, Mr Hill called comments from the Coalition "silly and confused".

He agreed that it was not the place of the committee to request the NACC investigate any matter, adding that this was not what the committee had asked.

"We recommend that they simply examine material gathered through the inquiry to determine whether or not to conduct an inquiry," Mr Hill said.