Proposed ASIC database sell-off 'stupid'

The proposed privatisation of ASIC's corporate database had been labelled a "stupid" move that would be unambiguously bad for investigative journalism.

"Anything can happen with the prices being charged and it means that journalists trying to track down companies that may not be paying their fair share of tax ... won't be able to access that information so readily," independent senator Nick Xenophon told reporters in Canberra on Thursday.

The winning bidder for the registry is excepted to be announced in October but the government hasn't yet made a final decision about whether to go ahead with the sale.