QUESTION TIME IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT
WHAT WE LEARNED
* As a result of the government's anti-tax avoidance laws, 38 multinational companies have had to change their tax affairs and $7 billion extra has been collected for the commonwealth's coffers.
* Politicians don't have to declare gifts from personal friends made in a personal capacity, no matter the value, unless they believe it may carry the appearance of a conflict of interest.
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN
* Company tax is ultimately a tax on workers and so lower business taxes will result in more investment and more jobs. Also, the "game-changing" infrastructure project that is the inland rail.
WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT
* Whether the prime minister still has confidence in Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and if the latter should be leading the country next week while Malcolm Turnbull is away.
THEY SAID WHAT
"When even his own National Party's colleagues know the deputy prime minister's position is untenable, why won't the deputy prime minister do the right thing by the people of Australia and resign?"- shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus has a good try but the Speaker rules it out of order
"The scope of that third chamber would get wider and wider, and a fundamental principle of our democracy would have been abrogated." - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull strengthens his resistance to legislating an indigenous voice to parliament
"The ABC - that's an enterprise that understands profit and loss! It understands taxes. They're recipients of them." - former communications minister Mr Turnbull
"This shadow treasurer's got the wibble wobbles, Mr Speaker. He's jelly on a plate!" - Treasurer Scott Morrison channels Finance Minister Mathias Cormann
"We start about 8.30 in the morning, if any of youse are out of bed by then." - Nationals backbencher Ken O'Dowd invites Labor MPs to an inquiry.
TWEETED
@JamesMcGrathLNP: Awkward. This (Valentine's card) was left on my desk in the Senate. It appears I have a Valentine. Sigh.
@keithjpitt - in reply: looks like your hand writing mate?
@JamesMcGrathLNP: Totes. I can't read my writing it is that messy.
