Department may have breached privacy rules

Labor believes a government department may have breached the rules around security of personal information after the personal mobile numbers of former prime ministers, MPs and ministers were published online.

The Department of Parliamentary Services regularly releases six-monthly reports on MPs' mobile phone and internet spending details.

However, the latest report for January to June 2016 included the mobile phone numbers of MPs and senators, including many ministers.

Former prime ministers Julia Gillard, John Howard and Paul Keating also had their numbers released.

Instead of deleting the numbers out of the documents, the font for the numbers was coloured white, meaning they could still be accessed using copy and paste.

Labor spokesman Ed Husic, who has asked Speaker Tony Smith to look into the matter, says it appears the department breached the Australian Privacy Principles - guidelines for any government agency actions that may impact on the privacy of Australians.

"An APP entity that holds personal information must take reasonable steps to protect the information from misuse, interference and loss, as well as unauthorised access, modification or disclosure," the rules say.

Google has been called in to delete cached documents containing the phone numbers which were still publicly accessible, Fairfax has reported.

Comment was being sought from Mr Smith.