Australia's first foreign policy blueprint in 14 years calls for greater ambition in "shaping the character of our region" by keeping the United States involved, reaching out to like-minded democracies and stopping major powers such as China and Russia pushing others around.

The ballooning Asian middle-class will continue to offer massive economic opportunities to Australia, but a freer trade and investment environment across the region is likely to be "a generational endeavour", the foreign policy White Paper states.

Senior ministers believe a cabinet leak that revealed the Turnbull government considered reversing its opposition to a banking royal commission was designed to damage Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton and create chaos in the government.

The Coalition is not afraid of getting into business with the cryptocurrency world.

A controversial trial of drug tests for welfare recipients is likely to be postponed.

"Our so-called senior leaders of the party have not been making wise decisions," an irritated minister told Fairfax Media.

• ANALYSIS

Why Frydenberg's modelling is unlikely to win over critics from both ends of the political spectrum.

Federal government departments and businesses will have less than three weeks to pay small and medium contracts.

A ninth MP has been struck down by the citizenship fiasco that has engulfed the Federal Parliament, with NXT senator Skye Kakoschke-Moore announcing she is a British citizen by descent and resigning.

Barnaby Joyce has moved to return a $40,000 cheque handed to him by mining magnate Gina Rinehart on Tuesday night in an incident described as "very unusual and concerning" by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

• ANALYSIS

Nothing to see here. Keep calm. Everything's under control.

The Prime Minister said a royal commission would not offer any immediate solutions for the scandal-plagued sector.

The former attorney-general will lead a review into the legal protections for religious freedom in Australia ahead of the legalisation of same-sex marriage.

Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has pointed the finger at employers for Australia's extraordinarily low rate of wage growth, saying it means low interest rates for months to come.

The Turnbull government will ramp up pressure on the states and the federal opposition to support its national energy guarantee with new modelling confirming it would generate $120 per year in savings for households from 2020.

Senior Coalition figures urge calm after the cancelling of parliamentary sitting saw Labor and the crossbench ramp up pressure to restore the session, and reports of backbench disquiet so deep that one MP was considering defection.

The Turnbull government will slash payment times for small businesses on lucrative public contracts by up to a third in a bid to drive investment in public infrastructure and make Australian businesses more competitive.

Labor frontbencher has refused to say when moves to renounce her entitlement to UK citizenship was confirmed.

The Australian Human Rights Commission also dismissed Attorney-General George Brandis' call for wider exemptions.

Canstruct was the only firm willing to take on the job after previous contractors declined.

Government ministers have called on frustrated Coalition MPs to air any concerns internally following an unnamed MP's reported threat to defect to the crossbench unless Mr Turnbull is replaced as leader by someone other than Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.

Jim Molan's entry to the Senate isn't guaranteed.

It's nudging right up to taking a liberty, if not straight up taking the mickey, for Turnbull to cancel Parliament next week.

Crossbench MP Andrew Wilkie says the federal parliament has a "moral imperative" to sit next week as Turnbull government ministers line up to defend deferring the lower house session.

Parents could be allowed to remove their children from classes where non-traditional marriage is taught, under a major addition to the same sex marriage bill being considered by Attorney General George Brandis.

A trailblazing activist for Aboriginal rights could be recognised with the renaming of the Federal electorate of Gellibrand in his honour.

Sudanese refugee Abdul Aziz Muhamat says some men are consuming 20 to 30 cups of coffee a day in lieu of their anti-depressants.

Same-sex couples will be able to use marriage certificates to apply for visas in a "game changing" move that advocates say will trigger a wave of LGTBIQ applications for Australian residency.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has flagged tax cuts for millions of Australians in the lead up in the lead up to the next federal budget, or sooner if an election is called early next year.