Malcolm Turnbull has asked his departmental secretary to look into former small business minister Bruce Billson who was being paid as lobbyist while still a member of Parliament.

On the same day he accused Labor leader Bill Shorten of supporting corruption and secrecy, Mr Turnbull told Parliament that his secretary Martin Parkinson would look at the case of Mr Billson who began receiving a $75,000 salary in March last year as head of Franchise Council of Australia.