Politics live as Malcolm Turnbull reacts to Bob Day, Rod Culleton, Senate chaos

Time to up stumps for me.

What happened? Not much - at least, not compared to yesterday. The Prime Minister wants us to know everything is under control and there is no chaos in the Senate or anywhere else. The opposition says the government couldn't organise a chook raffle in a pub. It's a war of perception as much as anything else.

Whoever is right, next week is sure to be a showstopper.

Until we meet then, you can follow me on Facebook.

See you on Monday.

Curiouser and curiouser.

It seems there is no such letter from Senator Culleton to the Attorney-General (see 1.28 pm and 1.30 pm posts).

Senior government sources says it does not exist.

Mr Shorten wants to know why there was an urgent, eight week election campaign but the legislation now will not be voted on.

"Chaos is a hallmark of how he operates," he says.

"Malcolm Turnbull has given up governing. There are some weeks when he feels it's too hard to come to work."

Opposition leader Bill Shorten is speaking.

A very loud jackhammer is competing with him.

"No industrial relations problems there," he quips.

This is solid gold.

Reporter Michael Koziol has tracked down the tow truck driver who had the fight with Senator Culleton over a $7.50 key resulting in a High Court stoush.

Do read it.

Simpler times.

Senior Labor frontbencher Anthony Albanese is musing about what should happen next week.

Not voting on legislation wouldn't be such a bad thing, he says, pointing out that "this wouldn't be the first time the senate had nothing to do".

The government cannot control either house of parliament, he says, before going on to describe the last parliamentary encounter between Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott as "a cage match".

Just to be on the safe side, he has written to Attorney-General George Brandis to ask for a permission note, The Guardian reports.

This would seem to indicate that Senator Culleton wants to keep voting (which is not what he said yesterday but there's little that's consistent in this matter).

Does anything happen to Senator Culleton if he decides to show up to the Senate on Monday and attend Parliament as usual?

No. He is entitled to sit and vote until the High Court declares otherwise.

Some things never change.

The opposition is having so much fun with the whole saga it has taken to putting out press releases headed "Senate Chaos" just in case anyone missed the point.

So, basically, the government will defer its building watchdog legislation until it is confident it has enough votes to ensure its passage through the Senate.

Liberal senator Zed Seselja is talking to Sky News.

He is asked why the government did not accept the Finance Department's advice about not allowing Bob Day to move into his office.

"The decision taken by the former minister was that there would be certain conditions," Senator Seselja says.

"Exactly what transpired needs to be examined."

Labor's Senate leader, Penny Wong, says the government is "paralysed" when it comes to the upper house.

Opposition leader Bill Shorten will hold a press conference in a couple of hours. 

I'm also quite looking forward to Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's take on things. He will be speaking a bit before 1 pm.

To recap - everything is under control, nothing to see here, please move along.

"We're governing, we're leading, we're delivering," Mr Turnbull stresses.

He declines to comment on Senator Culleton's press conference yesterday (which is a shame).

And that's it.

The Prime Minister offers to give people "a penetrating glimpse of the obvious".

It would be "desirable" that the matters were dealt with quickly but that is "in the hands of the court".

"What we are seeing is something we've seen before," Mr Turnbull says.

He says although the case against Bob Day might be contested, the "facts are very clear" when it comes to Senator Culleton.

The building industry watchdog legislation will not be introduced until the government believes it has sufficient support, Mr Turnbull says.

"There is no chaos, the Senate will continue," the Prime Minister says.

Part of the government's job is to uphold the constitution and that is what it is doing.

Speaking of people's suitability for the Senate, Mr Turnbull says, the trade union royal commission recommended criminal charges be laid against incoming Labor senator Kimberley Kitching.

Mr Turnbull says the same-sex marriage legislation is pressing as are various appropriation bills.

"Politics is governed by the iron law of arithmetic so we will continue talking to the crossbench," the Prime Minister says.