Politics Live: February 25, 2016

• 4:41pm on 25 Feb 2016

Okay, end of the day. Time to wrap up:

• the government released its Defence white paper which included $29.9 billion of spending;
• the white paper provides for a significant upgrade of naval capabilities including 12 new submarines;
• the opposition offered broad support for the white paper but devoted its question time capabilities to attacking the government's position on tax;
• this was prompted by reports Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will eschew widespread tax reform and adopt more modest measures;
• however his backbench remains nervous about any changes to negative gearing.

My thanks, as always, to Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen for their superb work and to you for reading and commenting.

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Andrew, Alex and I will be back - with Parliament - on Monday. We look forward to your company.

• 4:26pm on 25 Feb 2016

Since defence is the topic of the day - at least from the government's perspective - I thought I should draw your attention to a speech given by the most senior Defence official in which he chastised critics of Australian of the Year David Morrison for resisting cultural change inside the armed forces.

Dennis Richardson, the Secretary of the Defence Department, suggested that retired Lieutenant-General Morrison had become a lightning rod for people with a deeper agenda against improving the military's culture on dealing with sexual and other abuse.

• 4:02pm on 25 Feb 2016

Independent senator Nick Xenophon is not particularly impressed with the white paper.

Top of the list is the failure to guarantee that the submarines - yes, them again - will be built in South Australia.

"The smartest thing to do is to have one naval shipbuilding centre of excellence in Adelaide with a sustainment - worth more than the shipbuilding itself - being carried out in the locations where the navy operates from (Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Cairns). Anything else will be wasting tens of billions of dollars of tax payer's funds and compromise navy capability."

• 3:41pm on 25 Feb 2016

Not that this is doing much to quell backbench unease about whatever it is the government might do.

Shortly before question time Liberal senator Cory Bernardi suggested to Sky News that the government would be unwise to touch negative gearing at all: "We are opening a can of worms. It's much better politically and economically to say we're not touching it. Labor is the party of higher taxes. we're the party of lower taxes."

• 3:38pm on 25 Feb 2016

And I should point out that question time finished without a question from the opposition about the white paper.

Although the government is no closer to articulating anything about it's own tax policy it has refined its attack on Labor's, kind of, from claims of widespread devastation and destruction to starting to methodically argue why it is no good.

• 3:16pm on 25 Feb 2016

And that's it for question time today and the week.

• 3:08pm on 25 Feb 2016

In case you're wondering question time is not particularly scintillating today.

• 2:49pm on 25 Feb 2016

The opposition's treasury spokesman, Chris Bowen, asks Mr Turnbull if he will rule out "calling an election before delivering a budget".

"Nice tie, silly question," Mr Turnbull begins.

"We are focussed on the big issue of the today - the defence of Australia."

• 2:47pm on 25 Feb 2016

Having said that (2.38 pm) Mr Turnbull is not above a broad claim.

Labor's negative gearing policy is, he says, "a negative gearing policy for the very rich".

• 2:42pm on 25 Feb 2016

Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer passes Mr Turnbull a note as his rises to answer a question about negative gearing.

"Don't do it! Don't read it!", cry Labor MPs.

• 2:38pm on 25 Feb 2016

Mr Turnbull has, so far, departed from the new attack dog persona he has trialled this week.

He is back to more sober and considered explanations of policy.

• 2:27pm on 25 Feb 2016

Clive Palmer is in attendance.

He asks Mr Turnbull if he will retire after the next election and move to the Cayman Islands.

Is the prime minister merely a "seat warmer" for Tony Abbott, Mr Palmer asks.

(Mr Abbott is chuckling.)

"I gather the Honourable Member is inquiring about my health and I thank him for his interest and, I can assure you, I'm in the very best of form," Mr Turnbull says.

• 2:14pm on 25 Feb 2016

But he does have a quick word about tax, economics and other matters.

Mr Turnbull mentions, again, the important of the family home and explains he has not been engaging in a scare campaign but explaining "economics 101".

• 2:08pm on 25 Feb 2016

Mr Turnbull says the spending earmarked for Defence is "an investment in peace".

• 2:08pm on 25 Feb 2016

Opposition leader Bill Shorten begins with a question for Mr Turnbull.

He would like to know if Mr Turnbull is "capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs".

Mr Turnbull starts talking about the Defence white paper.

• 1:58pm on 25 Feb 2016

Hear, hear.

• 1:50pm on 25 Feb 2016

Nearly question time.

• 1:41pm on 25 Feb 2016

Yes, it's definitely Thursday.

• 1:37pm on 25 Feb 2016

It is generally supportive but there are things it doesn't like such as the lack of commitment from the government that the new submarines will be built in South Australia.

It would also like Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop to call in the Chinese ambassador and ask what is going on in the South China Sea.

• 1:31pm on 25 Feb 2016

The opposition is giving its reaction to the Defence white paper even though it thinks it was brought forward to give the government some good press.

Other than that it is approaching the matter in a bipartisan way.