Greens call PM cowardly over audit secrecy

The Australian Greens have accused Prime Minister Tony Abbott of being too cowardly to release the interim report of a commission of audit before a host of state and Senate elections.

The minor party wants the government to release the report immediately.

Treasurer Joe Hockey received the report almost a month ago but is yet to make public any of its 900 pages.

He is due to receive a final report towards the end of March.

Greens leader Christine Milne said Mr Abbott was "too cowardly" to release the report before the West Australian Senate election re-run and state elections in Tasmania and South Australia.

"Get it out there before those elections prime minister, or have the community understand that you haven't got the guts to front up to them with what you intend to do," she told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

Mr Hockey denied the government was holding back the report, saying he had been very busy in the three weeks since receiving it.

Shadow treasurer Chris Bowen said Mr Hockey had been "crabwalking" away from the commission of audit, when he said the government would not accept every recommendation of the report.

Only one thing had changed in recent weeks, and that was the leaked criticism from the commission of the government's paid parental leave scheme, he said.