Politics live as Turnbull government faces internal dissent over Gonski education changes

Time for me to wrap up. What happened?

• the Turnbull government is facing internal dissent over its education reforms;
• at least two MPs are unhappy about the changes to funding for Catholic schools and one has threatened to cross the floor;
• this sets the scene for a fiery party room meeting tomorrow morning;
• online shopping for small purchases will remain GST free for another year; and
• Labor voted with the Coalition to reject a Greens amendment that would have removed the GST from tampons and pads.

My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their work and to you for reading and commenting.

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Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning. Until then, good night.

The governor of the Reserve Bank has made some interesting comments today.

Philip Lowe called on Australians to get over their fear of foreigners and robots and demand wage rises to help put an end to the "real crisis" of record low wage growth. 

"The crisis really is in real wage growth. Western workers feel like they cannot get a pay rise," Dr Lowe said in a speech in Canberra.

And that's it for question time.

Only three more to go before the six week winter break.

Mr Turnbull has a good chuckle when Small Business Minister Michael McCormack says the government is "Turnbull charging, sorry, turbo charging Snowy Hydro".

Well, that's one potential solution to the energy problem.

The opposition's education spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek, asks Mr Turnbull a question about Catholic schools.

He flicks the question to Mr Frydenberg, who represents Education Minister Simon Birmingham in the lower house.

"We are not scared of having coal fired power," Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says.

"We believe in the coal miners. We believe in the steel workers....The Labor Party no longer believes in labourers."

Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg is having some fun with comments from opposition frontbencher Andrew Leigh this morning who told radio "we could well lose the ski season if climate change continues unchecked".

"Is he worried about Christmas in July being a permanent fixutre? Is he worried about the Boxing Day match starting in August?" Mr Frydenberg says.

He goes on to joke about the power that could be saved if Dr Leigh's "permanent tanning centre can be turned off".

"You used to worry about workers," Mr Frydenberg says. "Now you're only worried about one thing - losing the ski season."

Question time turns to education.

Mr Turnbull remembers the "happy time" when the Opposition Leader supported needs-based funding.

It was, Mr Turnbull says, "a glorious time, a golden era".

"He used to speak about David Gonski as if he was a secular saint...But then he was exposed."

"We are embracing an all of the above response," Treasurer Scott Morrison says in the fourth answer to a question about energy so far.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asks Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull if he will work with him on energy prices.

"Perhaps they think that because they know how to double electricity prices they have some insight into bringing them down," Mr Turnbull says.

Expect to hear much more about this in question time - now less than ten minutes away.

Former Abbott minister Kevin Andrews has told The Australian he also wants to see the modelling on how the education funding changes would affect Catholic schools.

So that's him and Senator Back.

Tomorrow morning's party room meeting is shaping up to be fun.

The Greens amendments on tampons was attached to legislation that imposes the GST on goods bought online that cost less than $1000.

There's a question mark over how this will actually be collected but the legislation has passed the Senate.

Labor successfully added an amendment that pushes back the start date to 1 July next year. It expects the Coalition to support this when the legislation returns to the house.

Which means you have another year and a bit to shop online worry free.

The levy legislation has passed the House of Representatives.

The committee report on the bank levy is expected to be tabled in the Senate early this evening.

Back on education for a moment.

The Turnbull government will have to cough up more than an extra $5 billion for schools funding if they want the Greens to vote for the funding changes.

The Greens want more money faster, is its position in a nutshell.

"The people behind those in power in this country destroy diversity and opportunity for our young people and deprives them of their future," Mr Palmer said.

"God Bless Australia."

"If it a crime to love your wife and children to spend time with them then I am guilty."

Some Clive Palmer news.

He's been in a spot of bother lately having been photographed on a Mediterranean cruise shortly after saying he was too sick to appear in court.

"Like any Australian, I have the right to take my family on a holiday," Mr Palmer said in a statement.

"The fact of the matter is that I am the only Australian who has offered any resistance to the Chinese Government's infiltration of our country or the takeover of our media by foreign interests."

A bit more on the tampon tax.

Labor will not support the Greens' amendment which means it won't be successful.

If only taxes were consistent. It does seem strange, doesn't it, that things like condoms don't attract the GST but tampons and pads do.

To start a parliamentary friendship group one must have a cause and co chairs from each major party.

This one has four co chairs - Bridget McKenzie (National Party), Terri Butler (Labor Party), Janet Rice (Greens) and Skye Kakoschke-Moore (Nick Xenophon Team).