Tensions have intensified over a misconduct investigation into WA politicians, with a powerful parliamentary committee demanding the state's corruption watchdog hand over a laptop seized from a former MP.

The Procedure and Privileges Committee also wants to take the Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) to the Supreme Court, believing it has overstepped its mark.

The watchdog has been investigating whether current and former MPs have misused their taxpayer-funded allowances.

The head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Darren Foster, sparked the ire of the committee, after he authorised for emails of former MPs to be handed to the CCC.

The furious committee claimed the department had no right to pass on privileged documents.

That sparked an investigation into Mr Foster himself for allegedly breaching parliamentary privilege, and also led to a bitter stoush between the CCC and the committee.

He appeared before the committee last month and handed over two USB drives holding millions of documents.

Mr Foster was ordered to not comply with any further orders from the CCC, and give the committee copies of any documents or data subject to any CCC orders.

Foster facing possible reprieve

But in a new report tabled in Parliament on Wednesday, the committee recommended the Legislative Council rescind its order for Mr Foster to not comply with the CCC and hand over documents.

Darren Foster appeared before the committee last month. ( ABC News )

Instead, it turned its focus on the corruption watchdog, and recommended the Legislative Council order it to produce the laptop issued to former MP Phil Edman by next Wednesday.

Mr Edman is being investigated by the CCC, which seized his laptop during a raid of his home last month.

The committee said the CCC should also give the Clerk of the Legislative Council all copies of the data contained on the laptop in its possession.

It also wants legal action to be taken on behalf of the Legislative Council, to challenge orders issued by the CCC to hand over emails and documents belonging to the MPs.

It is seeking to have the president of the Legislative Council, Kate Doust, engage lawyers to represent it in Supreme Court proceedings against the CCC.

Mr Edman's laptop was seized by the CCC during a raid of his home last month. ( ABC News: Andrew O'Connor )

The committee is challenging the validity of the CCC's notices to Mr Foster to produce the former MPs emails and other documents.

It also indicated its investigation into whether he was in contempt of the Upper House would continue.

Premier Mark McGowan has strongly backed his top bureaucrat, repeatedly saying Mr Foster rightly complied with a CCC order.

Labour MPs Doust, Ellery clash

The stoush has pitted Mr McGowan and his department against the committee, which is chaired by Labor MP Kate Doust, who is also the president of the Legislative Council.

The stoush has pitted the WA Premier and his department against the committee. ( ABC News: Manny Tesconi )

Ms Doust tabled the committee's latest report in Parliament on Wednesday, and the opposition moved a motion to consider the report on Thursday.

That prompted the leader of the Upper House Sue Ellery to label the move "extraordinary".

Clearly angered, she told Ms Doust that normal procedure was to pre-warn the leaders of the parties about such a move.

The CCC has released a statement saying it would surrender the laptop to the committee, but added the move would delay its investigation.

It said the burden of "prompt and expeditious resolution" relating to what material was needed for the investigation now rested solely with the Legislative Council.