Until an appearance on ABC News Radio and ABC local radio yesterday, Senator Abetz had been keeping a low profile regarding the fallout of the faked OzCar email.

Senator Abetz said he and Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull had been "conned" by senior Treasury official Godwin Grech, who showed them the email and then gave evidence to a Senate committee implying improper representations had been made to help a Queensland car dealer access OzCar.

"Sworn evidence was given that the email had been received and it was on the basis of this sworn evidence that Malcolm then went out and asked the question that he did about the Prime Minister," Senator Abetz said.

"I think most people would say in Australia if someone gives sworn evidence that you should be able, on the face of it, to take that." Senator Abetz said while he regretted his involvement in the scandal, he and Mr Turnbull "on the face of it" had every reason to believe Mr Grech's evidence was truthful.

"When he showed us the email he said, `yep, this is dinky-di' and we accepted that," he said.

Senator Abetz also said the email "looked genuine".

"It had a sent bit on it and for an email it does need the sent bit on it - the date and time it was sent," he said.

The Prime Minister has called for a Senate Privileges Committee investigation into the Opposition's involvement in the affair.

Senator Abetz said he would be waiting to see the details of the Government's proposal, but said a committee investigation might prove unnecessary.

"It's all on the public record what has already occurred, so if they want to go down the track as to exactly what had occurred from my perspective, this is unnecessary. However, on the face of it - I have to be very careful - it appears as though some evidence may have been given to a Senate committee that was false."