Senators' gift, property list upgraded

The register of interests for senators is to be upgraded but there are no plans to boost the enforcement of accountability.

At the moment, senators handwrite forms giving basic details of their bank accounts, property holdings, shares, memberships, trips and gifts.

The forms are published on the Parliament House website and updated whenever senators decide to.

While some regularly update their interests, others wait for months to make additions or don't do so over an entire term.

Senate Clerk Richard Pye said work was under way on a new system whereby senators could fill in forms online and have their details posted immediately.

The forms would also be searchable, unlike the existing system.

It was hoped the system could be in place after the next election, if approved by the senators' interests committee.

Asked what was the consequence of a senator not filling in a form, Mr Pye said it was a matter for "the committee to pursue or other senators or the press".

"It's not the role of the Senate department or the registrar to oversee the quality or detail or the timeliness other than to publish forms that come in within one business day," he told an upper house committee on Monday.

"The whole purpose of the register of senators' interests is to instil a degree of transparency ... so people are aware of senators' interests and can make their own judgments on how well those interests are represented."