• EXCLUSIVE

Australians with rare cancers and other diseases will be given early access to experimental and potentially life-saving drugs under major Turnbull government changes to the nation's medical approvals system.

The number of older Australians on the dole is rising rapidly, raising fresh concerns about the Turnbull government's plan to cut unemployment benefits.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could force voters to the polls another three times in the next two years.

• EXCLUSIVE

Paris Aristotle, the pre-eminent adviser to both sides of politics on refugee issues over the past two decades, says Australia should be among the countries considered for resettling refugees from Manus Island and Nauru.

"A lot of students would be left in the lurch.

Labor factional powerbroker Sam Dastyari is facing ongoing scrutiny over his close connections to Chinese-Australian interests, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull questioning whether donations led to the NSW senator contradicting his party's policy in a "cash for comment" arrangement.

A humiliated Malcolm Turnbull has warned Coalition MPs to lift their game and show more discipline, as Labor celebrated exposing the government's porous control of the Parliament.

Michael Keenan noticeably thrilled when Fairfax Media insisted on inquiring about his longevity as a frontbencher.

A notorious group of rape cases at the Australian Defence Force Academy will remain unresolved after the government's defence abuse taskforce announced neither a Royal Commission nor an Australian Crime Commission probe will go ahead.

But heads won't roll over scathing report into consultancies at air traffic agency.

The federal government concedes the cost of moving public servants from Canberra to northern NSW doesn't stack up.

Asked why it had backed down, the ATO said though a spokeswoman it had made a political judgement.

One in five of the mobile phone towers funded in the first round provided little to no new coverage for consumers.

The fallout from concerns about the growing influence of foreign-linked donations in Australian politics has reached China, with nationalist newspaper the Global Times attacking anti-Chinese hype and paranoia.

Chinese bombers and missiles could threaten Australia from new artificial islands in the South China Sea, prompting calls for a missile defence shield.

Australia may have the right to collect more tax from multinationals that send profits through low-tax nations following this week's historic EU ruling on Apple.

WA MP Christian Porter has offered no excuse for his unapproved absence during Thursday's night's chaotic scenes in Federal Parliament, saying he had apologised to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and explaining that he "was just outside in the car" when the government embarrassingly lost a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives.

An official visit to the United States for Tony Abbott cost taxpayers $60,000 – even though the former prime minister was rolled by his colleagues before he could get on the plane.

A ruling could be delivered within the month on Australia's claim a special international commission has no jurisdiction to hear a complaint by East Timor.

Liberal MP George Christensen has boosted his publicly-funded library with more than a dozen books on topics that could loosely be described as the clash between the West and radical Islam.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has publicly smacked down three of his ministers over the embarrassing and chaotic defeats the government suffered in the House of Representatives on Thursday night.

Who is responsible for ensuring the government has the numbers it needs to control the Parliament?

Defence Department down to just one in-house naval architect to work on the sprawling submarines program.

Leader of the House and Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne says he did not give MPs permission to leave Parliament early, labelling Thursday's embarrassing defeats in the House of Representatives a "stuff up".

Sam Dastyari has pointed to his attendance at a Chinese film festival to justify using taxpayer funds to campaign for Labor, even though MPs are banned from using their travel perks for political work.

The government has suffered a major defeat in the House of Representatives.

Pat Dodson delivers maiden speech

• ANALYSIS

Labor caught out the Coalition government at the end of a fractious first week in the 45th parliament, using smart tactics and parliamentary procedure to severely embarrass Malcolm Turnbull.

Legislation, maiden speeches and political battle: MPs are back in Parliament for the final sitting day of the week.