Federal crossbenchers are pushing for legal changes that could strip former Governor-General Peter Hollingworth of millions of dollars in public benefits over his mishandling of sex abuse complaints in the Anglican church.

Key points: Peter Hollingworth resigned as Governor-General over a series of scandals in 2003

Peter Hollingworth resigned as Governor-General over a series of scandals in 2003 Sexual abuse survivor groups wrote to the Prime Minister urging Dr Hollingworth be stripped of his pension

Sexual abuse survivor groups wrote to the Prime Minister urging Dr Hollingworth be stripped of his pension Federal crossbenchers now pushing for governor-general Act to be changed

The Greens will today introduce a senate motion calling for amendments to the Governor-General Act, citing "concern" there is no way to stop payments to former heads of state that are "no longer in the interest of the public".

The motion will ask Prime Minister Scott Morrison to introduce a bill with a trigger to axe vice-regal pensions of $357,000-a-year, plus generous travel and office expenses, in case of "unconscionable or illegal behaviour".

Mr Morrison is set to make a national apology next week to victims of sex abuse in institutions, while the Commonwealth pays Dr Hollingworth up to $600,000 a year.

The Greens to introduce a senate motion calling for changes to the law. ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

Greens Senator from Western Australia, Rachel Sierwert, revealed she would introduce a motion to give the Government power to scrap payments to people it had "lost confidence in".

"We think the community does not support those sorts of excessive payments going to people that could be seen to be bringing the office, even though it was past, into disrepute," she told the ABC.

"[We also think] that it's not in the public interest that they continue to receive such payments."

Ms Sierwert said she hoped the motion would win bipartisan support.

"If we don't, I will introduce a private members bill to put this into effect," she said.

"If the Government does move to amend the legislation, it sends a clear message to survivors that they have been listened to."

The Royal Commission into institutional responses to child abuse made adverse findings against Dr Hollingworth. ( AAP )

Dr Hollingworth was forced to quit as Governor-General in 2003 after controversy around his response to sex abuse claims while Archbishop of Brisbane.

This included allowing a paedophile priest to work through to retirement, which the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse found was a "serious error of judgment".

Months ago, Queensland police began reviewing allegations about Dr Hollingworth's handling of complaints in the Brisbane diocese in the 1990s.

Dr Hollingworth has never been charged or convicted of any offence.

But adverse findings by the royal commission included that Dr Hollingworth misled a church-sponsored inquiry about his knowledge of the extent of sexual abuse by a priest.

The commission found it "must have been apparent" to Dr Hollingworth that he was misleading the inquiry in 2002, while he was Governor-General.

Apology would be 'a hollow token' without action

Beth Heinrich, who gave the royal commission her account of a sexual relationship with an Anglican priest from the age of 15, and church responses to her complaints, wrote to the Prime Minister on October 1 to appeal to him to end Dr Hollingworth's "undeserved Governor-General pension".

She wrote that without this, the national apology would be "disingenuous and a hollow token for all the complainants who were required to go to the Brisbane diocese for help and support during the years when Peter Hollingworth was the Archbishop in charge".

Beth Heinrich told the ABC that Dr Hollingworth does not deserve the entitlements. ( ABC TV )

Ms Heinrich told the ABC Dr Hollingworth was Governor-General when he made a "highly inappropriate" comment on national television to dispute her abuse claim.

"There was no suggestion of rape or anything like that, quite the contrary," Dr Hollingworth told Australian Story in 2002.

"My information is that it was rather the other way round."

Ms Heinrich said she repeatedly pressed her complaint with Dr Hollingworth when he was Archbishop but it was not until 2004 — after he left the diocese — that the church took action and defrocked the priest.

"Nothing was resolved and I just got the feeling [Dr Hollingworth] didn't want me around and didn't want to be bothered," she said.

Dr Hollingworth has apologised for the church's failure to prevent abuse cases raised by the royal commission, but has repeatedly denied covering up the cases or deliberately misleading any inquiry.

The ABC sought comment from his lawyer but did not receive a response by deadline.

His lawyer said on Monday: "Dr Hollingworth wants to express his continuing and absolute abhorrence of all forms of child abuse, most especially by those occupying positions of trust in what should be secure and nurturing environments."

The lawyer has previously described the police review as "surprising", saying none of the four previous inquiries into the allegations "suggested he committed any offence".

'Misbehaviour' clause applies at state level

University of Queensland law professor Graeme Orr said the Queensland Governor's Act allowed state parliament — on findings by a special judicial tribunal — to strip a governor of superannuation "for proven 'misbehaviour', including before or after office".

"[However] we shouldn't lightly strip anyone or their family of their retirement expectations. It should be limited to court convictions, of significant offences connected to their duties," he said.

A child protection expert from the University of South Australia, Chris Goddard, said the maximum payment of $65,000 to abuse victims under the Government's "unjust" redress scheme was dwarfed by the vice-regal pension.

"The victims get a lifetime burden," Professor Goddard said.

"Hollingworth gets a lifetime, index-linked, pension as a reward for a brief troubled period as Governor-General.

"There should be an apology for the payments to Hollingworth and an apology for a redress scheme, which appears to make it almost impossible for victims to get maximum damages."