Labor roughs up Mal Brough in parliament

The government has used its numbers to block a Labor attempt to censure Malcolm Turnbull and force the resignation of Mal Brough.

The tumultuous start to Wednesday's session came as Labor accused Mr Brough, the Special Minister of State, of misleading parliament.

On Tuesday, Mr Brough suggested in parliament the 60 Minutes program selectively edited a TV interview in which he bluntly admitted asking former Speaker staffer James Ashby to obtain copies of his former boss Peter Slipper's diary.

"In relation to the 60 Minutes interview, what was put to air was not the full question," Mr Brough told parliament.

However, the Nine Network has released the raw footage of the interview which shows journalist Liz Hayes verbally stumbling at the start of the disputed question, but still making it clear what she was asking.

"Um why then also did you um assist, seek well, did you ask James Ashby to procure um copies of Peter Slipper's diary for you?" Hayes asked.

Mr Brough replied: "Yes I did".

Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus on Wednesday sought to censure the prime minister for his "atrocious judgment" in appointing Mr Brough as a minister in September, and accused the minister of "slithering and sliding".

Mr Turnbull, who has been away from parliament attending two overseas summits, demonstrated a "complete and utter failure" to show leadership to sack or even stand aside Mr Brough under the ministerial code of conduct, Mr Dreyfus said.

"He has shown himself to be someone that cannot even answer a straight question," Mr Dreyfus said of the minister.

Mr Turnbull should never have appointed Mr Brough to the ministry.

"Brough seems to have been appointed to reward him for his part in the plotting that brought down the former prime minister," Mr Dreyfus said.

Veteran Liberal MP Philip Ruddock is satisfied with the minister's explanation so far.

"But let's see how it unfolds," he told ABC Television of the latest revelations.

Federal police have executed search warrants at Mr Brough's Queensland home as they investigate whether the minister asked Mr Ashby to "procure" Mr Slipper's diaries.

The criminal offence carries a two-year jail term.

The search warrant also mentions two other ministers, Wyatt Roy and Christopher Pyne.

Mr Ashby on Tuesday said Mr Roy had advised him to copy the office diary, as the former staffer sought to build a sexual harassment case against Mr Slipper which eventually failed.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she did not believe Mr Brough misled the parliament on Tuesday.

"I believe the Labor Party should be aware of what's called `due process'," she told reporters in Canberra.

"In my view due process in relation to this matter should be allowed to run."