Politics Live: Turnbull's post budget wrangling over banks and schools

Okay, time for me to wrap up. What happened?

• question time was topsy-turvy as the government exploited division in the opposition about its approach to the rise in the Medicare levy;
• the government was quick to capitalise and portray itself as the defender of the National Disability Insurance Scheme;
• the opposition tried to bite back by questioning aspects of the bank levy;
• but this risks confusing voters because the opposition supports the levy; and
• there was some rare bipartisanship at an event to announce a $400 million giveaway by billionaire Andrew Forrest to a range of charitable causes.

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

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Andrew and I will be back tomorrow (Alex will be on assignment). We hope to see you then. Good evening.

Mr Howard has some thoughts on Donald Trump.

He says he has "some reservations about some of the things he's done" but Mr Trump was the rightful winner and should be given a chance to get on with things.

Mr Howard says he might be old fashioned but "I don't think random tweeting by the President of the United States is necessarily the right way to take the nation with him".

Mr Howard is asked about the bank levy and the Medicare levy increase.

He says he understands why the government has chosen the bank levy although he acknowledges his unease about the idea.

Mr Howard says "less than desirable methods" are sometimes needed when the Senate won't let a government do what it wants to do.

Former prime minister John Howard is being interviewed on Sky News.

He is speaking about the legacy of Robert Menzies and says there was a far greater degree of bipartisanship back in his day.

Mr Howard is asked about Tony Abbott's role in politics today but doesn't bite.

"The most important thing a political leader should do is make it perfectly clear what he or she believes in," Mr Howard says.

The Age's economics editor, Peter Martin, writes about Andrew Forrest's $400 million philanthropic giveaway and points to some interesting studies about people who feel good when they donate money.

Some thoughts on One Nation from independent senator Derryn Hinch who says what has been going on is corruption.

One Nation has been "conning the taxpayer," he says.

"I think it's a sackable offence," Senator Hinch says.

And that's it for question time.

Mr Turnbull accuses the opposition of "abandoning Australia's children" for the sake of "shabby political advantage".

We've really tumbled down the rabbit hole today.

The government* is strongly defending its record and policies on education and disability while the opposition is asking questions about the bank levy (which it supports but only gives the government a bit more ammunition to suggest it doesn't).

* remember the government of the day is the Coalition.

Mr Shorten wants to know the dollar value of the deductions banks can claim due to the levy.

Mr Turnbull says that figure is "plainly set out in budget paper number two".

He moves on to his real point which is the "shape shifting" of the Opposition Leader in relation to the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

This story about the NDIS is very useful for the government which has been trying to cast doubt in voters' minds about Mr Shorten's authenticity for quite some time.

The government is single-mindedly pursuing two things here:

• it is the best friend of the National Disability Insurance Scheme because it has a fair way of getting everyone to pay for it; and
• Labor is economically irresponsible and has welched on its reform which obviously shows it was never very serious about it.

Labor has done an excellent job of maintaining unity under Bill Shorten so the story about divisions in shadow cabinet (as reported by my colleague James Massola) is revealing in more ways than one.

Health Minister Greg Hunts gets his turn to talk about the government's support for Medicare and the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Mr Shorten is taken his umbrage to twitter:

Greens MP Adam Bandt would like to know if Immigration Minister Peter Dutton misled people when he said the 7,500 people in the legacy caseload were "fake refugees".

"If you think I'm going to take a morals lecture from you you've got another think coming," Mr Dutton says.

He declines to repeat that particular phrase.

"I regard me getting into power as more important than your life," Mr Porter suggests Labor MPs should tell people living with disability.

What a surprise - another question from the government side about the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter is happy to read many comments in support from disability groups in favour of the increase in the Medicare levy.

"The insurance scheme is a scheme for all Australians, for all their families," Mr Porter says.

(The government is going to keep exploiting this for quite some time.)

The opposition moves on to the bank levy and asks if it will be tax deductible.

"It will be deductible for the banks as an expense," Mr Turnbull replies.

Treasurer Scott Morrison says the legislation for the levy will be introduced this week.

The first question from the government's own side is about funding for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

(The opposition will be expecting this one.)

"This was a shameful abdication of responsibility," Mr Turnbull says.

"We've faced up to that responsibility and we've asked Australians to pay half a percent of the Medicare levy....It's the right thing to do." 

Question time begins with a question from the opposition to the Prime Minister about where or not he will refer the allegations against One Nation to the Australian Federal Police and/or the Australian Electoral Commission.

Mr Turnbull says some "very serious matters" have been raised and he will be seeking some more advice.

Nearly question time.

Budget estimates hearings are taking place.

In Finance and Public Administration, Senate President Stephen Parry is taking about the new fence that's going up around Parliament House.

Work will begin shortly with a temporary structure going up first.

Senator Parry says he might make the cost available to senators at a later date. In a private capacity.