The government has refused to hand over documents relating to allegations of payments made to people smugglers, arguing that doing so would weaken national security.

The Greens passed a motion in the Senate on Tuesday that compelled the government to hand over the materials by 3pm on Wednesday. That was rejected, with the government putting forward a public interest immunity argument.

On Thursday the Greens will introduce a motion in the Senate withholding the introduction of any bills from the immigration minister, Peter Dutton.

“The Senate will now have to decide what it will do in response to the government’s refusal to comply,” the Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said. “Why should the Senate deal with any other issues from the immigration minister if he can’t be upfront with the parliament or the public over such a serious matter?

“The government’s contempt for the public, the parliament and truth must not go unchallenged.”

Labor has yet to decide if it supports the motion.

A letter issued to the Senate by Dutton argued that disclosing the requested documents could “reasonably be expected to cause damage to national security, defence or international relations”.

“They contain material relating to law enforcement or the protection of public safety which would, or could reasonably be expected to prejudice the investigation of a possible breach of the law or the enforcement of the law in a particular instance,” he said.

Senator Hanson-Young has been leading the charge for transparency this week. Link to video

He goes on to say that the documents requested by Hanson-Young could reveal the location and capacity of customs vessels which are necessary for the effective functioning of the government’s Operation Sovereign Borders.

The information could be used as “positive marketing” for people smugglers, he said.

Dutton also argued that fulfilling the request could jeopardise confidential communications between Australia and its regional partners Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.

The Senate may choose to withhold the introduction of any of the minister’s bills or hold a public inquiry into the matter.

The government wants to introduce two bills relating to his portfolio before parliament rises for winter recess. The first seeks to revoke citizenship for dual nationals accused of terrorism and the second would arm guards in offshore immigration detention centres.