Politics Live: May 29, 2014

It's time we went down to the car park to see if our Rolls Royce has been fixed so we can go home.

But before we do, what did we learn today?

• There is nothing like a dinner date to startle the horses;
• Seriously, has a bowl of fried rice ever caused so much fuss?
• All human rights commissioners are not created equal;
• You can say Duran Duran in parliament; and
• The government is only going to collect student debts from "living people".

 

NBN Co continues its appearance at estimates. It is due to go until 11pm. Tune in here if you like.

Parliament now has a long weekend of sorts before it is back - with more estimates - on Monday.

Andrew Meares, Alex Ellinghausen and I will wink you then.

 

 

To go to my happy place, sometimes I just sing My Sharona in my head.

 

Prime Minister Tony Abbott during question time. Photo: Andrew Meares

103 more of these gags. And I'll be even with Labor.

Singlehandedly.

 

 

 

Member for Herbert, Ewen Jones leaves under standing order 94a. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Do I look like someone on the end of a tin can phone? 

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten during QT. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

DO I LOOK LIKE LLEYTON HEWITT?

Immigration minister Scott Morrison during question time. Photo: Andrew Meares

The time being 5.34pm, we now present PHOTOS WITHOUT NOTICE.

 

Grab your fibre-to-the-node and come on down.

NBN Co. is appearing now before estimates.

CEO Bill Morrow is delivering an opening statement in a Northern American twang.

The phrases "supplier summit meeting," "alignment on objectives" and "eliminate our internal silos" have already come up. 

 

In the Legal Affairs Committee, senators are warbling the praises of ASIO head David Irvine.

Irvine will be replaced by current Ambassador to Belgium Duncan Lewis in September.

Irvine is clearly pleased but notes:

"I feel a bit of a fraud because I'm basking under the aura of an organisation [where staff have a] very strong ethical commitment and a very strong commitment to Australia.

And we should be very proud of them."

 

ASIO Director-General David Irvine appears. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss is addressing parliament about the missing Malaysian plane.

"The search for MH370 continues but now it has to move into a different phase," he says.

Truss says the pings were the "best information" the government had at the time.

"That's all you can do."

Truss tells the chamber that he is still confident that MH370 is in the southern Indian Ocean.

He adds: "this is painstaking effort in a very large ocean".

(You really don't have to tell us that.)

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss updates the House of Representatives on the search for the missing Malaysian airlines flight MH370. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

One of the ads which ran during the 2013 election campaign.

Jonathan Swan reports on the Finance department at estimates.

Where secretary David Tune has told the Finance Committee about having to approve a controversial ad campaign about asylum seekers in the dying weeks of the Rudd government.

He said he had to "obey" as a public servant.

But that he had never come across anything like it in the past.

(You may recall the ads - they rather starkly reinforced the government's new policy that asylum seekers via boat would not be settled in Australia.)