Nauru inquiry a witch hunt, says minister

The federal government has accused a Senate committee investigating claims of abuse at the Nauru immigration detention centre of being a witch hunt.

The committee ran out of time on Tuesday to hear evidence from immigration department officials after quizzing senior managers from the centre's operator and security firm, and representatives from Save The Children.

"Labor and the Greens combined to ensure only one point of view was presented," Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said in a statement.

Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said the department would get an opportunity to address the inquiry at a later date.

"This is not a stunt, we're talking about child abuse," she told reporters in Canberra.