Attorney-General George Brandis says he has no recollection of a February 2016 discussion with his West Australian counterpart about the Bell Group litigation.
In November, Senator Brandis gave parliament a detailed explanation of his handling of a reported deal with WA to allow the state, rather than the Australian Taxation Office, to claw back $1 billion from Alan Bond's collapsed Bell Group.
ABC's 7.30 program on Thursday night reported Senator Brandis spoke to his WA counterpart Michael Mischin about the case in February 2016 - a month before the date Senator Brandis told the Senate he had become personally involved when his colleague Christian Porter had spoken to him about it.
Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said on Friday it was an "extraordinary revelation" that showed Senator Brandis had lied to parliament.
However, Senator Brandis told AAP in a statement on Friday: "I have no recollection or record of any telephone conversation with Mr Mischin on or about 1 February 2016."
The attorney could not disclose legal advice relating to the Bell Group issue as it was the long-standing practice of governments not to do so.
The commonwealth ultimately supported the ATO's successful High Court bid to overturn WA legislation.
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