The government has defied a Senate demand to release the findings of its review of the Home Affairs portfolio by claiming it did not produce a “single consolidated report” despite spending $4.9 million on the effort.

The claim triggered an outcry in the Senate over the performance of the Department of Home Affairs and its minister, Peter Dutton, after the controversial creation of the vast portfolio two years ago.

Peter Dutton became Home Affairs Minister under Malcolm Turnbull. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The government revealed the cost of the review in a one-page response to the Senate that refused to produce any actual documents.

“There was no single consolidated report prepared as part of the strategic review process,” the department claimed.