Former senator Rodney Culleton has mounted an eleventh-hour effort to save his parliamentary career, seeking to appeal a Federal Court decision that rendered him bankrupt and demanding Senate President Stephen Parry immediately withdraw his declaration of a vacancy.

A leading international human rights advocacy group has slammed the Turnbull government's hardline and highly secretive offshore immigration detention regime and ongoing efforts to strengthen counter-terrorism laws in an annual review of practices in more than 90 countries around the world. 

Taxpayers picked up the bill for a $4000 five star "working dinner" that included seven bottles of fine wine hosted by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton at a prestigious luxury hotel in Washington D.C.

Finance Department flexed its muscles against flag-ship project of agile government.

Former One Nation senator Rodney Culleton has threatened a High Court challenge to his disqualification from federal Parliament for being bankrupt.  

Politics might be show business for ugly people - but new research suggests Australian MPs on the right are more attractive than those on the left.

Colleagues of embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley say her position has become "completely untenable" and do not expect her to resume her place in the ministry despite her insistence she will soon return to her ministerial duties. 

When naming the rooms in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade building, its chiefs had a great idea - honour the many distinguished diplomats and public servants who had dedicated their lives to bettering Australia. 

Centrelink will resume sending out controversial debt recovery letters to thousands of Australians within days, despite an ongoing controversy.

There is value in politicians attending major events but it depends which one, and who's there, experts say.

Julie Bishop is the latest politician facing scrutiny over travel expense claims as calls for an overhaul of the entitlements system grow louder.

• EXCLUSIVE

Turnbull government cabinet minister Darren Chester completed the purchase of an investment property on a taxpayer-funded trip to Melbourne in which he also attended the Australian Open tennis and a soccer match.

• EXCLUSIVE

Sidelined Health Minister Sussan Ley charged taxpayers $13,000 to fly herself along two busy commercial routes.

Calls for reform of the parliamentary entitlements system have again intensified following the latest expenses scandal, which has centred around Health Minister Sussan Ley's Gold Coast travel. 

• EXCLUSIVE

Staff inside Centrelink warned officials from the Department of Human Services that automated data matching would lead to incorrect debts being issue, an insider says.

Pauline Hanson should sack her "controlling" chief of staff James Ashby because he's a danger to One Nation's future, a dumped candidate says.

When it comes to the employment and training sector, the names do not get any bigger than Sarina Russo.

It's bad now but going to get much worse, warns CPSU as Centrelink denies "pecking order" in debt case reviews.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has produced two scathing reports on practices by Australian immigration authorities.

Health Minister Sussan Ley travelled to the Gold Coast twice at taxpayer expense for lavish New Year celebrations hosted by a multimillionaire political donor whose company has won major contracts from the Coalition government.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman has launched a wide-ranging investigation into Centrelink's automated debt-recovery processes.

A $2 million federal grant to a trades training school associated with former Family First senator Bob Day is under investigation by the Commonwealth Auditor-General.

Former speaker Bronwyn Bishop has jumped to the defence of Sussan Ley, accusing socialists of tearing her down and arguing that double standards exist for women and men in politics.

Health Minister Sussan Ley has stood down from the frontbench while the secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Martin Parkinson, investigates her use of taxpayer funded entitlements

East Timor will abandon the multibillion-dollar oil and gas treaty at the centre of sensational spying claims by Australia.

Centrelink is either lying or unacceptably incompetent, says former public service digital guru.

Health Minister Sussan Ley is facing fresh calls to resign after revelations she has taken 27 taxpayer-funded flights in and out of the Gold Coast over recent years, including over two consecutive years during the New Year's Eve period.

Embattled Health Minister Sussan Ley has admitted she made an "error of judgment" by charging taxpayers for a trip to the Gold Coast in which she bought a $795,000 apartment and will repay the cost of the trip.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has called on the Turnbull government to immediately suspend Centrelink's controversial automated debt recovery program, describing it as a "toxic mix of incompetence and cruelty".