Senate hearing into audit put on hold

Plans to call members of the Abbott government's commission of audit before a Senate inquiry have been put on hold.

A Labor-Greens dominated committee had scheduled a public hearing for next Wednesday in Canberra, but details of the hearing were deleted from the committee's website late on Thursday.

Committee chair, Greens senator Richard Di Natale, would not say when a hearing would be held when quizzed by reporters in Melbourne on Friday.

An alternative date would be considered by the committee, he said.

Senator Di Natale said he was unconcerned about an apparent lack of interest in the inquiry, with only two public submissions lodged so far with the committee.

"It's a crazy time at the moment over the holiday period," he said, adding he expected more submissions.

The latest submission, from the National Welfare Rights Network, is concerned the commission does not include a representative from the welfare sector.

It noted a previous commission of audit, initiated by the Howard government in 1996, led to severe cuts over a range of important services and programs.

"A repeat of this exercise today will have significant impacts upon many vulnerable people in the community," network president Maree O'Halloran said.

The network opposes the further roll out of income management for those on welfare payments without a proper analysis of the measure now in place in parts of the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland.

It also opposes any downgrading of Centrelink services or their incorporation into Australia Post outlets.

The network has renewed its call for a $50 a week increase to the Newstart Allowance, saying lifting people out of desperate poverty should be a national priority.

It also wants the commission to keep its hands off the national disability insurance scheme.