That's all from us for Tuesday. What happened today?
- Australia will have its first female High Court chief justice from next year after Susan Kiefel was named to the top job today.
- A Senate inquiry will consider the involvement of Attorney-General George Brandis in litigation about the Bell corporation wind-up in Western Australian.
- The Australian Building and Construction Commission legislation looks set to pass this week.
- MPs are planning to oppose moves to boost security at Parliament House, including fencing around the building's public laws.
- Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has downplayed a possible frontbench reshuffle, not ruling out changes to his team.
Thanks for joining our coverage today and thanks to the very talented Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares.
The excellent Stephanie Peating will be back with you tomorrow.
It's been a busy day all round - here is Labor's Clare O'Neil with her baby Louis during a vote on the back packer tax earlier on Tuesday.
Meanwhile in the House of Representatives, Labor is seeking to suspend standing orders over the government's handling of the backpackers tax.
Labor's Penny Wong has just spoken to reporters at Parliament House, accusing Nick Xenophon of selling out South Australians.
"We wanted Nick Xenophon, along with every South Australian senator and member, to stand up for South Australia. We needed water, we didn't need more talk," she said.
"As long as Malcolm Turnbull has got Barnaby Joyce in the water portfolio, we know Barnaby will never deliver an outcome that's good for South Australians and that's good for the basin."
She said Senator Xenophon had done a deal that gives him an excuse to vote for the government's industrial relations legislation, which she conceded would be passed by the Senate this week.
The Greens aren't impressed with the Nick Xenophon Team deal on the Murray-Darling Basin water problem.
Greens' water spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young says Senator Xenophon has sold South Australia down the river.
"He's letting South Australia and the River Murray down, just so he can cosy up to the Coalition and help them to rip rights away from hard working Australians," she said.
"Senator Xenophon might talk a big game, but time and time again he squibs it in the end. Now he's doing it all again and selling our home state short."
Back to topI have to dash off so I'm going to leave you with my colleague Tom McIlroy.
Thanks for your company. We'll chat in the morning.
The government will be very happy to hear that.
It's only a matter of 'when' not 'if' the construction industry watchdog legislation will pass.
Senator Xenophon says he and his colleagues will now consider the building industry watchdog legislation "on its merits".
"I think it's unlikely the legislation will be passed in the next 12 hours," Senator Xenophon says but gives it a "better than 50-50 chance" of being passed.
He says a vote is more likely to be held tomorrow or even Thursday night.
(A couple of long nights are still ahead of us.)
Senator Xenophon says his team is not being sold a pup by the government: "The government knows very well that if there isn't progress.....then obviously there will be consequences."
He points out that he and the other members of his team will "aren't going anywhere".
Senator Xenophon is explaining his decision to reporters now.
He says water will be elevated to the top of the agenda for COAG (Council of Australian Governments) meetings. It will also be scrutinised by a Senate estimates committee.
Senator Xenophon says it is "significant" and that is the best place to deal with the matter.
Back to topNick Xenophon has also dropped his demand that the Murray-Darling Basin water problem must be sorted out before he can deal with the government's construction industry watchdog legislation.
The Senate has voted to hold an inquiry into the Attorney-General's involvement in the Bell Group matter.
What is even more interesting is that One Nation senators split over the vote.
Rod Culleton voted with Labor, the Greens, Derryn Hinch and the members of the Nick Xenophon Team in favour of the inquiry. His One Nation colleagues voted with the Coalition and David Leyonhjelm.
Don't forget you can follow me on Facebook.
You won't find any fake news there, I promise.
Christopher Pyne was amazed to discover rock doesn't beat paper.
It's heartening that so many MPs are upset about the new security plans for Parliament House.
Many of them are angry that the public would no longer be able to walk over the top of the building, one of its great design features.
Greens leader Richard Di Natale is "very angry" about it. Independent senator Derryn Hinch says the plan is like putting "the Berlin Wall" around the building. Others say they would rather put up with the security risk than keep the public at arm's length.
You can catch up on the story here.
Back to topBack to same-sex marriage.
The committee will be made up of four government and four non government MPs.
"This issue will never die in any parliament until it is done," Labor senator Louise Pratt says.
And that's it for question time.
Busy, busy bees in question time.
The opposition is being cute and asks Mr Turnbull if he will express the same confidence in Senator Brandis as he did in Mal Brough, Jamie Briggs and Stuart Robert on the last sitting Wednesday of 2015.
"Of course I do," Mr Turnbull says.
One Nation senator Rod Culleton has also released a statement in which it sounds very much like he will vote for the government's building industry watchdog legislation.
Senator Culleton says he has secured some amendments.
There is a lot of use of the first person pronoun and not one mention of his party.
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