Politics live as Barnaby Joyce remains under pressure over citizenship

Okay, time for me to call it a day. What happened? 

• various government ministers accused the opposition of treachery for colluding with the New Zealand Labour Party to attempt to bring down the Australian government;
• Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said she might not be able to trust a New Zealand Labour government because of this;
• the New Zealand Labour Party (which faces an election shortly) said it had some communication with an Australian Labor staffer about the matter but only a general question about citizenship was asked in the New Zealand parliament;
• the Australian staffer was later revealed to be Labor frontbencher Penny Wong's chief-of-staff;
• despite this sideshow the government's near hysterical campaign about traitors has not gone down well;
• it also threatened to go after Labor MPs with possible citizenship issues;
• Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce told question time his New Zealand citizenship has been renounced;
• the High Court will hear the case on August 24; 
• the government's media reforms have a better chance of passing the Senate; 
• this is because One Nation will support the changes in exchange for things such as amending the charter of the ABC and requiring the national broadcaster to disclose the salaries of its highest paid presenters;
• oh and the government lost a vote in the House of Representatives. Again.

It doesn't sound at all crazy when I put it like that, does it?

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

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Alex, Andrew and I will be back in the morning. Until then, safe travels.

"It's hard to imagine anyone more Australian than Barnaby Joyce," Infrastructure Minister Darren Chester tells Radio National.

Oh right and because there's not enough happening ....

My colleagues Adam Gartrell and Amy Remeikis have unmasked the Labor staffer who sparked New Zealand Labour's interest in citizenship.

It was Labor frontbencher Penny Wong's chief of staff Marcus Ganley.

Senator Hanson says the words "fair" and "balanced" will be added to the ABC's charter.

"It's already in their charter that they have to be fair and balanced so we're just adding some words there," she says.

The ABC had "swung too far to the left over the years", she said.

"In all fairness to the public this must be disclosed," Senator Hanson says of One Nation's stipulation the ABC must disclose the salaries of its most highly paid employees.

One Nation says the taxpayer has the right to know how its money is being spent.

The ABC has said in the past disclosure of its stars' salaries would put it at a competitive disadvantage.

As political reporter Matthew Knott explains: "The deal brings the government within reach of locking in the numbers required to scrap the so-called 'reach' and 'two-out-of-three' rules restricting media ownership. If the Nick Xenophon Team comes on board the government will have the numbers to pass its changes." 

"Fairfax Media understands the One Nation deal has angered ABC management, given public broadcasting had nothing to do with the government's original proposals."

"One Nation originally said it would not support the scrapping of the two-out-of-three rule because of concerns it would reduce media diversity. The rule restricts media proprietors from controlling a television station, radio network and newspaper in the same market."

"Senate colleagues, apart from Labor, have been involved in active discussions with the government on media reform," Senator Fifield said.

"As has been the case for the life of this Senate, it is independent and minor party colleagues who are prepared to constructively engage. Given Labor is more interested in playing politics while risking jobs and livelihoods, the government will continue to negotiate with minor party and independent Senate colleagues to secure the passage of this important legislation."

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield has confirmed the terms of the deal with One Nation to secure its support for changes to media laws.

"The government's comprehensive and holistic package of reforms seeks to give Australian media organisations a fighting chance by freeing them from outdated laws and regulations," Senator Fifield said in a statement.

"The reforms will give media organisations more options as to how to configure themselves to better support their viability."

Oy vey.

The government wins the new vote (the re-vote?) 74 votes to 71.

But the embarrassment is already there.

Tony Abbott also missed the vote.

Some scallywags on the opposition benches are asking if he did it on purpose.

There is going to be another vote because the bells rang for only one minute instead of the usual four.

Among those who missed the vote were ministers Barnaby Joyce, Julie Bishop and Michael Keenan.

Mr Keenan, you may remember, was one of the MPs responsible for this happening to the government previously.

The vote was on an amendment to legislation to do with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne, not to mention Chief Government Whip Nola Marino, are not having fun.

There is mayhem (more, if you can believe it) in the House of Representatives as the government loses a vote.

A number of MPs were locked out of the chamber because the bells rang for one minute not four.

The government lost 69 votes to 61.

"It's always been a competitive world," Senator Hanson-Young says.

"This is the changing media landscape."

Senator Hanson-Young says "the drum is beating loudly" and "it's a backdoor way to take the view to iview".

The Greens aren't happy about the government's deal with One Nation about media reform.

"I think this is an attack on the ABC, of course, and the SBS," Sarah Hanson-Young says.

"This is an attack on [streaming services] iview and SBS on demand."

It's unclear from the statement exactly what some of these measures mean but Senator Hanson will be holding a press conference to, ahem, explain.

"While I've had a hot and cold relationship with what many call "fake news" media, there's nothing fake about my very real concern for the future of our Australian media," Senator Hanson said.

"One Nation has been at the forefront calling for more transparency of wages at the ABC and we have received assurances from the government that they will be asking the ABC to start providing details of the wages and conditions of all staff, who's (sic) wages and allowances are greater than $200,000, similar to what is being implement by the British Broadcasting Corporation," Senator Hanson said in a statement.

"The government has also agreed to undertake a competitive neutrality inquiry into the ABC and to legislate a requirement for the ABC to be 'fair' and 'balanced'."

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has agreed to support the government's media reforms.

Senator Hanson says One Nation has secured a number of amendments from the government including changes at the ABC, more funding for community radio and tougher restrictions on foreign ownership.