Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has refused to say whether Australian authorities paid people smugglers in Indonesia when Labor was in government.

The questions have been prompted by allegations from crew members and passengers of an asylum boat — intercepted last month — that Australian officials paid thousands of dollars to the people smugglers to take the boat back to Indonesia.

On Monday, Labor tried and failed to censure the Abbott Government over the issue, after the Prime Minister and senior ministers refused to confirm or deny the reports citing national security.

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Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young has also moved a motion demanding the Coalition produce any documents pertaining to the matter.

But Mr Shorten has also cited national security when asked if Labor had authorised payments to people smugglers during the Rudd/Gillard years.

What we know: People smuggler payment claims Indonesian police say an asylum seeker boat was intercepted by an Australian border patrol after setting off from West Java on May 5

Indonesian police say an asylum seeker boat was intercepted by an Australian border patrol after setting off from West Java on May 5 A boat ran aground on a reef near remote Rote Island, off West Timor, on June 1

A boat ran aground on a reef near remote Rote Island, off West Timor, on June 1 It was carrying 65 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, including four women and three toddlers

It was carrying 65 asylum seekers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar, including four women and three toddlers The asylum seekers told Indonesian police Australians had intercepted them, transferred them onto a more seaworthy wooden boat, gave them dried fruit, biscuits, fuel and life jackets, and escorted them back to Indonesian waters

The asylum seekers told Indonesian police Australians had intercepted them, transferred them onto a more seaworthy wooden boat, gave them dried fruit, biscuits, fuel and life jackets, and escorted them back to Indonesian waters The six crew members told Indonesian authorities they were each given $US5,000 by Australian officials to sail back to Indonesia

The six crew members told Indonesian authorities they were each given $US5,000 by Australian officials to sail back to Indonesia The asylum seekers also told the UNHCR the crew were paid by Australian authorities

"You know it doesn't matter what party the politician is from, when it comes to security matters, we simply don't comment," Mr Shorten said.

He did comment, however, on a more specific question.

"Labor has never paid people smugglers to turn back boats and that appears to be what the Government is doing," he said.

It was not Labor policy to turn back boats, but in 2012 — when Julia Gillard was prime minister — the head of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) Nick Warner confirmed publicly that its agents were involved in "disruption" activities.

"ASIS has contributed intelligence and expertise leading to many significant, and unheralded, successes in recent years which have disrupted people smuggling syndicates and their operations," Mr Warner said in a speech.

When pressed if he knew ASIS officials had ever paid people smugglers in the Labor years, Mr Shorten again declined to comment.

"No serious leader of Australia would start talking about ASIS matters," Mr Shorten said.

"What I can absolutely say is I have been informed Labor has never paid people smugglers to turn around boats at sea."

Greens demand to see documents regarding any payments

On Tuesday afternoon, Senator Hanson-Young moved a motion demanding the Coalition produce documents regarding any payments made.

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The party has threatened the Senate may be hostile to dealing with government business if the Coalition does not obey the motion.

There is a 24-hour deadline before the Government must either present the documents or argue for an exception out of "public interest".

"If the Government wants to work with the Senate on other topics, other issues, they're going to have to start playing ball on this," Senator Hanson-Young said.

"The public want to know what's happened, they want to know if Australian taxpayer money was spent paying for bribes to traffic people back to Indonesia.

"The Senate can decide that we will hold up other issues of business, that we won't deal with bills, for example, coming from the Immigration Minister to be dealt with until we get the answers we want."

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Senator Hanson-Young said the Senate could also refer the matter to an inquiry.

She admitted the Government may refuse to present the documents, arguing they relate to national security, but added that would anger the Senate.

The Opposition asked for a reference to ASIS to be removed from the motion.

The Greens agreed, believing that would make it harder for the Government to claim national security concerns should block the demand.

The decision to stop dealing with Government business would require the support of other senators.

The ABC understands Labor is yet to consider how it might respond to a failure to comply with the order.

Bishop takes aim at 'hypocrisy and confected outrage'

Last week, both Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton denied any payments had been made, but neither backed up their statements in Parliament on Monday.

On Tuesday, Ms Bishop turned her gaze on Mr Shorten in Question Time, pointing to Labor "hypocrisy" in its responses.

"So it's OK for the Leader of the Opposition to refuse to reveal operational details, but not for the Government?" she said.

"And I have some advice for the Leader of the Opposition — I would be very careful to rule in anything or rule out anything under Labor's watch.

"I think you're being set up.

"And the ducking and weaving just shows the double standards, the hypocrisy and the confected outrage under this disgraceful opposition."

Earlier, Prime Minister Tony Abbott — who last week fuelled speculation by saying the Government would stop the boats "by hook or by crook" — repeated that the Government would do whatever is necessary "within the law".

"The only thing that really counts is: have we stopped the boats? And the answer is a resounding yes," he said.