Secret coalition deal case cost $87,000

Parliament has heard taxpayers forked out $87,000 in legal costs to keep the coalition agreement a secret.

Malcolm Turnbull has confirmed the government spent $87,000 in a legal battle to keep the coalition agreement secret.

Labor frontbencher Joel Fitzgibbon sought court approval to have the Liberal-Nationals agreement publicly released, but lost the case.

The government has refused to release the document because it is a private letter between two political party leaders.