Politics live: Turnbull government talks tough on banks, budget and school reform

End of the day. What happened?

• the somewhat muted tone to politics continued;
• school funding dominated question time again;
• it's not yet clear how this will play out but the stakes are high for both the government and the opposition;
• the banks continued to run interference about the levy; and
• the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs, made her final appearance before a Senate committee.

My thanks to Andrew Meares for his superb work today and to you for reading and commenting.

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Andrew and I will be back on Monday. Alex will join us once again. We hope to see you then. Good evening.

You betcha:

And that's it.

Professor Triggs has been excused from the committee for the last time.

Senator Macdonald wishes her "all the very best" for her future.

Professor Triggs' term expires in the next few weeks.

Senator McKim: "Is this your last appearance at estimates?"

Senator Triggs: "I sincerely hope so."

She goes on to say there is a growing number of attacks on women in public positions in Australia.

"I think there's a lot of evidence to support it and I think it's something women in Australia really must articulate," Professor Triggs says.

Professor Triggs makes the observation "with great sorrow" but says "the last few years have seen a serious regression".

Independent senator Derryn Hinch asks Professor Triggs about criticism of women in public positions in Australia.

He suggests women do not attract more criticism than men.

Just like a Donald Trump, he suggests.

Professor Triggs: "I find it extraordinary to be referred to in the same sentence as Mr Trump. I'm not sure that's a very flattering association."

Senator Macdonald threatens to evict Senator Wong and Senator Murray.

Again - he can't do this.

He takes some advice and offers the muttered, cross "sorry" a thwarted toddler sometimes offers: "I've been advised by the clerk that I do not have the power to evict anyone or prevent them from asking questions."

Senator Macdonald tried to order Greens senator Nick McKim to leave the committee, which he doesn't have the power to do.

"I will not be leaving," Senator McKim says.

"You can't make me leave, mate. I'm not going. What are you going to do?...You are a tyrant and a dictator."

​Senator Macdonald said he would then refuse to recognise Senator McKim for the rest of the hearing which means he won't let him ask any questions. This is the political equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and singing "la la la la la la" until the other person just goes away.

The committee has already been suspended twice in half an hour because its members are behaving so poorly.

Chair Ian Macdonald sent out Labor senators Penny Wong and Murray Watt so they could "control themselves and learn some manners".

This happened after the senators objected to the line of questioning Professor Triggs was facing (again - quelle surprise). Liberal senator Eric Abetz wanted to know about her appearance at a fundraiser for former Greens leader Bob Brown.

I wasn't watching the final minutes because it is the last time Gillian Triggs, president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, will appear before the legal and constitutional affairs committee.

It's not going very well (I know - quelle surprise).

That's it for question time.

"We are fighting for the Adani coal mine," Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce assures question time.

They sure are.

Mr Turnbull says he is worried by the "parallel universe" inhabited by the opposition's education spokeswoman, Tanya Plibersek.

"It troubles me, her electorate is next to mine," quips Mr Turnbull.

So there's a lot of talk about education funding in question time.

Labor is very keen not to let the Coalition get the upper hand on this issue. Education is a core strength for Labor - along with health - and it will not let this one go without a fight.

When Labor talks about less funding it means less funding than was contained in the policy it took to the last federal election.

Mr Shorten is "a cross between Kevin Rudd and Fidel Castro", Mr Turnbull says.

He spoke for so long MPs were "falling asleep and out of their chairs".

The opposition moves on to education funding and the question of whether or not the government is spending $22 billion less on education over the long term.

Mr Turnbull says Mr Shorten is a "captain of fantasy".

"What could be less fair than promising resources you can't deliver," Mr Turnbull says in a reference to both school funding and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

He goes on to say Mr Shorten inflicted "14 minutes of torture" on his MPs earlier this morning, in a reference to the address to school principals.

Told you (see 12.53 pm post).

Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke begins question time by asking Mr Turnbull why he hasn't spoken to the Australian Federal Police about One Nation.

Did he intend to mislead parliament, etc etc etc.

"Both by principle and by law, the AFP should be able to complete that evaluation independent of government. You're trying to muddy the waters," Mr Turnbull says.

Nearly question time.

The banks would like the Senate economics legislation committee to make the government conduct "a detailed long-form regulatory impact statement before the bill is passed through Parliament".

They are also concerned the UK levy has been introduced nine times since its introduction and wonder if that could happen here.

"The levy must also be set at a fixed rate, enshrined in the legislation and should result in the levy being abolished," Ms Bligh wrote.

Furthermore, if the levy does come in, it should have a sunset clause which would be triggered by a budget surplus.

The banks have written to senators urging them to hold an inquiry into the government's proposed levy.

The chief executive officer of the Australian Bankers' Association, Anna Bligh, wrote the measure was "of such significance that it warrants the close scrutiny of the Senate given the importance of a strong banking system for Australia's economic prosperity".

"The five banks only had 39 hours to comment on the draft legislation on 18 May 2017 before it was to be finalised on 19 May 2017 and introduced to Parliament by 31 May 2017," Ms Bligh wrote.