Prime Minister Scott Morrison is facing broad political condemnation for calling the New South Wales Police Commissioner about an ongoing investigation involving one of his ministers.

Key points: Anthony Albanese and Malcolm Turnbull both criticised Scott Morrison for calling the NSW Police Commissioner

Anthony Albanese and Malcolm Turnbull both criticised Scott Morrison for calling the NSW Police Commissioner The Prime Minister made the call after NSW Police confirmed it had launched an investigation

The Prime Minister made the call after NSW Police confirmed it had launched an investigation Police are investigating allegations a forged document was used in a political attack on Sydney's Lord Mayor

Federal Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese believes Mr Morrison crossed a line by calling Commissioner Mick Fuller after it was revealed police launched an investigation into an allegedly forged document used by Energy Minister Angus Taylor's office in a political attack against Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore.

Mr Morrison's prime ministerial predecessor, Malcolm Turnbull, has also offered a rebuke of the call, saying he would not have done it, while a crossbench senator has warned a friendship between Mr Morrison and Commissioner Fuller raised additional concerns.

Mr Taylor is under pressure to step aside while the investigation is ongoing.

Mr Morrison told Parliament on Tuesday he had discussed the case with the state's Police Commissioner and deemed it appropriate for Mr Taylor to remain on the frontbench.

Mick Fuller said there was nothing inappropriate about the conversation with the Prime Minister. ( ABC News )

Mr Albanese argued the Prime Minister should not be having such conversations, given he has a direct interest in the outcome of the probe.

"I found it pretty unprecedented, frankly, that he would suggest that there had been a discussion about details of an investigation that was only launched hours beforehand," he told the ABC.

Mr Turnbull told Sky News on Wednesday it was important the police investigation was seen to be independent.

"I'm sure the call that the Prime Minister made to the NSW Police Commissioner was innocuous, but it would have been much better had it not been made," he said.

Speaking in Question Time on Wednesday, Mr Morrison said he repeatedly told Parliament on Tuesday that he was going to speak to police about the investigation.

"I don't know who they thought I was going to call, Mr Speaker. Did they think I was going to call the parking infringements officer at the Sutherland Police station? Maybe Mr Speaker, I was going to call the Water Police or the dog squad," he said.

"I spoke to the Police Commissioner because I needed to know, to exercise my responsibilities, both to this House and under the ministerial standards, to exercise the assessment that is required of me on those matters."

Prime Minister forced to correct record

Late in the day, the Prime Minister was forced to correct the parliamentary record, over a mistake he made while defending his phone call to Commissioner Fuller.

Mr Morrison initially told Question Time a Victorian detective stated then-prime minister Julia Gillard was under investigation over the AWU slush fund scandal.

But the Attorney-General Christian Porter hours later tabled a letter in Parliament confirming the comments were made by radio presenter Ben Fordham.

"I would note that does not change the fact there was such an investigation with respect to former prime minister Julia Gillard in existence, but I'll simply table that document," he said.

While Mr Morrison corrected the record, he did not apologise for the error.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 58 seconds 58 s Turnbull criticises Morrison for calling Fuller over Taylor investigation

Commissioner Fuller defended the call and told The Australian newspaper that Mr Morrison received no more information than what was in a police media release.

"The Prime Minister didn't ask me any questions that were inappropriate, he didn't ask for anything that was inappropriate and I'm comfortable with the discussion that we had that ran over a few minutes," he later told reporters.

Commissioner Fuller said he received regular phone calls from state and federal MPs and did not have a personal relationship with Mr Morrison.

"I received three missed calls from a phone number that I don't have in my phone, I don't have the Prime Minister's number," he said.

"He is my local member and I had met him a few times but I haven't had dinner at the Lodge with him, I've never been to his premises."

Commissioner Fuller said he hoped to have the investigation wrapped up next week.

"To be honest with you, I actually don't feel as though the allegations themselves are serious, in terms of the things that I would normally stand up and talk about the types of crimes," he said.

"But at the end of the day they're public figures, and at the end of the day I'm assuming that the public and the media would expect that we take all matters seriously against public figures."

Scott Morrison is standing by Angus Taylor as he faces pressure to stand down amid a NSW Police investigation. ( ABC News: Toby Hunt )

'They have to be very, very careful'

Crossbench senator Rex Patrick said the friendship between the Prime Minister and Commissioner meant the pair needed to be very careful in their dealings with each other.

Mr Morrison and Commissioner Fuller have both publicly commented on their friendship before.

Senator Patrick said it was "even more inappropriate" that Mr Morrison had called the Commissioner because of their friendship.

"Because they know each other, they have to be very, very careful," he told Sky News.

"It creates all sorts of perceptions, and as we know in politics, it's not only about being clean, it's about being seen to be clean."

Clover Moore has criticised Angus Taylor for his political attack on her. ( ABC News: Kevin Nguyen )

The City of Sydney argues the document Mr Taylor relied on to criticise Cr Moore about excessive travel is fraudulent.

Labor first referred the matter to police in October, after questions about the travel figures first arose.

Mr Taylor has since sent a letter to Cr Moore apologising "unreservedly" for relying on figures in media commentary without clarifying them.

Federal Treasurer and deputy Liberal leader Josh Frydenberg said it was entirely appropriate for Mr Morrison to have called the police.

"It's absolutely appropriate, and as he has said to the Parliament, they'll continue with their inquiries," he said.

"But the substance of these inquiries is based on the allegations of the Labor Party, and we know the tricks of the Labor Party."

In 2015, then-Liberal minister Mal Brough stood aside pending a police investigation.

Former minister Arthur Sinodinos briefly stood aside during a NSW ICAC inquiry and Sussan Ley took similar action when her travel expenses were reviewed in 2017.

Mr Taylor maintains that neither he nor his staff altered the document, and has said there is evidence multiple versions existed on the council website.

But he has subsequently declined to elaborate on how he came to use the false numbers.

The Opposition Leader accused Mr Taylor of withholding key details about where the document he used in the political attack came from.

Mr Albanese said the minister needed to disclose where the document came from.

"The koalas in the trees came down and did it. I don't know. The bogong moths? I mean, where did this document come from?" he said.

"It came from his office, on his ministerial letterhead, with his signature. He knows."