By Dominic Giannini in Canberra

Labor is being accused of disrespecting thousands of Australians who have given evidence to inquiries in the hope they would address the significant issues they’re facing.

Crossbenchers have called on the Albanese government to respond to more than 100 overdue parliamentary committee reports that have been completed and left to gather dust on ministers’ desks.

House reports must be responded to within six months, while Senate reports require a reaction within three months.

Half of the expected responses are overdue by more than a year and a quarter by more than 18 months, data compiled by crossbenchers found.

“When governments commission reports and then don’t respond to it, that’s what makes Australians cynical about politics,” independent MP Allegra Spender said.

“We need to restore trust in democracy, and that means governments actually being serious and responding to the issues that they identify as problems.”

The Wentworth MP pointed to an inquiry into insurance responses for major floods, as the natural disaster once again impacts areas of Australia.

“We had literally hundreds of witnesses around Australia, people telling about their experience, their personal experience of being flooded and then trying to battle with insurance companies to get the money that they needed to rebuild their lives.

“This report deserves an answer, the recommendations deserve an answer.”

Inquiries were important tools for Australians who felt aggrieved to come forward with their problems, independent Senator David Pocock said.

“It is so disrespectful for a government to simply ignore the work of the parliament, which is done on behalf of the people that we’re meant to be representing in this place,” he said.

“There’s no shortage of problems, and we have solutions to most of those problems.”

Labor had responded to hundreds of committee reports, including clearing a backlog left over by previous governments, a government spokesperson said.

This included 172 responses to reports from former governments in Labor’s first term.

“It is appropriate that where significant policy matters are raised, that ministers and their departments take the necessary time to provide substantive responses,” the spokesperson said.

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said she was working across government to ensure more timely responses to reports.

“I’ve certainly raised it across government that we need to make sure these committee reports are being responded to, and so we’ll continue to focus on that,” she said.

Independent MP Kate Chaney also said the government had been failing to adopt recommendations from reports or inquiries they commissioned, often ignoring expert advice.

One such example was Senator Gallagher not implementing the recommendations from an independent expert who reviewed a “jobs for mates” culture in parliament after concerns about crony public sector appointments, where political allies are rewarded with cushy jobs.

Ms Chaney pointed to a UK scheme in which the government’s responses to inquiries and recommendations are tracked, so there’s transparency about where answers and implementation stand.