Labor's anti-corruption watchdog has two paths it can take

In front of lower house colleagues on Wednesday morning, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus unveiled the long-awaited details of his National Anti-Corruption Commission.

With broad investigative powers and the ability to peer back at wrongdoing long into the past, the oversight body will tick many of the boxes that experts and crossbenchers wanted ticked.

But while the bill's arrival has mostly been celebrated, it's not perfect.

Public hearings can be held but only under "exceptional circumstances" and when it is considered in the public interest.

It's that phrase - exceptional circumstances - that has prompted concerns many attempted public hearings could be derailed.

Retired judges warned those accused of wrongdoing could challenge what exactly constitutes as an "exceptional circumstance" in expensive and drawn high court challenges.

And because of that sticking point, it's left the Albanese government with a tough choice in order to convert its election promise into reality.

The government has the numbers in the House of Representatives but it will face troubles in the Senate without either bipartisan or crossbench support.

So, the fork in the road is simple - cut a deal with the Coalition - who are supportive of the higher bar - or cave to crossbencher demands to cast more sunlight on the hearings.

Setting the stage for the upcoming battle on Wednesday morning, crossbenchers, led by long-time integrity-focused MP Helen Haines, voiced they were hopeful they could push for changes to lower the public hearing threshold.

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ACT senator David Pocock said if the commission was truly independent, it would be able to decide on its own what is in the public interest.

Hours later, a defiant Peter Dutton questioned the crossbenchers' motivations, saying some just wanted to "see the system pulled down".

"It's been important for us to be constructive, to be sensible and pragmatic in our approach to our discussions," he said.

That pragmatism, for the Opposition Leader, however, means keeping most things behind closed doors.

It leaves a clear line in the sand for the government. Work with the crossbenchers and appease the inner-city electorates that shafted out the former Coalition government.

Practically, it means gaining the support of the Greens along with the two Jacqui Lambie Network senators and Senator David Pocock.

Politically, that approach also puts Dutton in an uneasy corner fighting to keep the integrity body in the shadows.

Or the Albanese government can choose to side with the opposition, keep the higher threshold its competition is rumoured to have lobbied for and compromise on other areas the Coalition want to see changed.

One path is the promised collaborative approach. The other is the same-old politics we've seen time and time before.