Ministers have lied over smugglers:Clare

A federal Labor frontbencher has accused three Abbott government ministers of lying over the highly controversial issue of whether Australia has paid people smugglers to turn their boats around.

Jason Clare, a former Labor immigration minister, says the real issue is that three ministers - Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Immigration Minister Peter Dutton and Attorney-General George Brandis - "lied".

"There is a big difference in saying 'no' and 'no comment', especially if the answer is 'yes' - ministers in press conferences saying 'this didn't happen' and then they come into parliament and say 'no comment'," Mr Clare told Sky News.