Shorten eases pressure on disability probe

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten won't "throw bricks" at the federal government over the proposed disability royal commission as he's glad Australia is getting an inquiry at all.

The terms of reference were expected to be released on Monday, but no announcement has been made by Tuesday.

"I'm pleased we're getting a royal commission into the treatment of people with disability," Mr Shorten told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.

"Labor called for it two years ago so I'll take the progress where I'll get it, I'm not going to throw bricks at the government."

Federal parliament last month supported a motion for a royal commission into the mistreatment of people with disabilities and consultations have since been ongoing with stakeholders, but a formal announcement is yet to be made.

"I'm not going to judge them too harshly about terms of reference between then and now because they've never really thought about it," Mr Shorten said.

"It is important to talk to the states and territories, it's even more important to talk to people with disability."

The proposed new royal commission briefly had a website on Monday, set up by the Department of Social Services.

But the heading "Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability" soon became a "page not found" error message on Monday afternoon.