1. Abbott new defence for Knights and Dames?
One expects one will not be amused by the latest revelation to spill forth from former Murdoch editor Chris Mitchell's tell-all book.
In his new book, in which he breaks off-the-record confidences of former PMs, Mitchell says Tony Abbott told him the Queen pressured the former PM to reinstate the universally-derided Knights and Dames honours which culminated in an Australia Day knighthood for Prince Philip.
According to Renee Viellaris, Mitchell writes: "He (Abbott) assured me that the knighthood was not his idea and that the Queen had been concerned that Prince Philip had honours from many Commonwealth countries but not for Australia." Yowza. [Courier Mail]
2. China responds
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull meeting with President Xi Jinping. Photo Stephen Cooper
This was entirely predictable.
After US Ambassador John Berry's frank and unprecedented intervention into the debate about Australian politicians and political parties accepting foreign donations, China has responded angrily.
"We noted that some people always love to give lectures like a preacher about the domestic politics, rules and laws, and foreign policies of other countries," the Chinese Embassy told The Australian. [Brendan Nicholson/Rosie Lewis]
This was always the risk with the United States making such a frank intervention in a domestic political debate - that any change to the laws is a furthering of the idea that Canberra is just Washington's patsy, a common complaint of the alliance on the left. But in practical terms it won't impeded appetite for reform which genuinely appears to exist across the Parliament.
Late Tuesday the Special Minister of State Scott Ryan referred the issue to a parliamentary committee which will report back in March, 2017. [Heath Aston/Fairfax]
3. Maidens dominate Parliament
A tale of two maidens dominating federal parliament.
Every once in a while you get an absolute show-stopper and Julian Leeser, Liberal MP for the Sydney seat of Berowra is the Class of 16's.
Julian Leeser delivers his first speech at Parliament House on Wednesday. Photo: Andrew Meares
His poignant, powerful, incredibly moving and beautifully written speech about his father's suicide must be read and shared widely. [Full transcript]
The Greens walk out as Senator Pauline Hanson delivers her first speech in the Senate. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
But it is Pauline Hanson's incendiary calls for Muslims to be banned from entering Australia which is captivating the hard politics today.
Her 2016 speech is a re-hash of her 1996 "swamped with Asians" debut but swaps Aborigines and Asians for Muslims as targets instead. [My report/Fairfax]
The ABC has gone behind the scenes with Hanson to discover, that like Julie Bishop, Hanson loves a brooch. [Caitlyn Gribbin] (Cue Labor/Green questions to Guthrie at Estimates about why the ABC is doing puff pieces on a politician like Hanson).
Former Liberal Prime Minister John Howard says Hanson should not be marginalised and the Greens decision to walk-out of her speech reflected badly on the minor party. He says he doubts the voters who elected Hanson did so for her anti-Muslim views. [Lateline/ABC]
In other politics news:
Malcolm Turnbull's given an interview to Laura Tingle and Philip Coorey to say his prime focus as PM is the budget. More interesting are comments by Howard's former chief of staff and now cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos, who says the ministerial team has not stepped up to support Turnbull as much as it should these past 12 months. [Financial Review]
Cracking first-two opening pars from commentator Niki Savva who writes Tony Abbott, failed as Prime Minister, needs to shut up. [The Australian]
4. Trump to dodge health questions
Well well well. Donald Trump has been wavering today on his pledge to discuss his health in a television interview with celebrity Dr Mehmet Oz, and only after media pressure is now offering a brief rundown. We'll see. [Maggie Haberman/New York Times]
Hillary Clinton is expected to return to the campaign trail on Thursday. [CNN]
5. Junker's State of the Union
Donald Trump has released minimal information about his own health. Photo: Bloomberg
European Union Commission President Jean-Claude Junker denies the EU is under threat as a result of Brexit and rising nationalism.
"Europe is not going down the path of nationalisation," Junker said in his State of the Union address.
He called for "further effort from the union" to avoid "galloping populism" but touting plans for a military headquarters isn't going to help his cause. [BBC]
6. Paying with our eyes
"Apple wants consumers to pay for things using their fingers. Google and Amazon want consumers to pay with their faces. Alibaba is looking elsewhere." Amazing story on Quartz about Chinese company Alibaba looking at eye payments. [Josh Horwitz]
And that's it from me today, you can follow me on Facebook for more.