Senate wants census legal advice released

The Senate has called on the federal government to release legal advice provided to the Australian Bureau of Statistics over its bungled 2016 census.

A motion by crossbencher Nick Xenophon on Monday calls for the government solicitor's advice to be tabled by Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, a separate motion by Greens and crossbenchers calling on the government to direct the ABS to issue a statement declaring no one would be fined for failing to complete the census, failed.