Federal cabinet is meeting in Brisbane as Malcolm Turnbull faces questions over shutting down independent advice and overriding the rule of law.
Solicitor-General Justin Gleeson has resigned in the wake of a dispute with Attorney-General George Brandis over rules preventing ministers from directly seeking independent advice from the nation's second-highest law officer.
Mr Gleeson said the relationship was irretrievably broken and the impasse needed resolving.
Labor says it's Senator Brandis who should resign or be sacked.
However, the AG says the resignation is the proper course of action.
The government is also facing criticism of a plan, flagged by the prime minister on Monday, to revisit former PM Tony Abbott's failed laws blocking environmental activists from challenging major projects, such as mines, in court.
Mr Turnbull says that while he recognises the right to bring cases, there have been some very well-funded and organised campaigns against projects by people with political and ideological agendas.
Greens deputy leader Larissa Waters says stopping ordinary Australians from enforcing environment laws is an attack on democracy.
She says only last week the Federal Court agreed with a community group that the federal government made an unlawful decision when it allowed a port in the sensitive Tiwi Islands to be built without any environmental assessment.
Mr Turnbull plans to tour regional Queensland before returning to Brisbane later in the week for a domestic violence summit.
