Politics Live: 3 March, 2015

I'm going to quit before the computer does it for me.

What happened? It felt like back to policy Tuesday:

• Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced an additional 300 troops would be sent to Iraq;
• Mr Abbott also finally, definitively ditched the GP co payment declaring it "dead, buried and cremated";
• this raises questions about the budget bottom line which the government does not care to answer at this point in time;
• the government has approved major changes to Australia Post including a two tiered delivery structure and a price rise in stamps to $1; and
• the Senate passed a motion of confidence in the president of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs.

ICYMI - the Reserve Bank of Australia has left interest rates on hold.

You can follow the two significant policy announcements via the links below.

Latika Bourke and Dan Harrison are writing about the government's decision to finally kill off the GP co payment.

National security correspondent David Wroe is covering the announcement that an extra 300 troops will be sent to Iraq later this year.

The Senate has passed a motion of confidence in the president of the Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs.

Labor, the Greens, Palmer United Party senators and independents voted in favour of the motion which also commended the work done by the commission in its report on children in immigration detention centres.

While I was fighting gremlins diligent reporters were filing stories.

Such as this one by political correspondent James Massola in which he reports Prime Minister Tony Abbott not so subtly blamed former health minister Peter Dutton for mishandling the GP co payment at last night's cabinet meeting.

And this one by communications correspondent Matthew Knott in which he reveals stamps for garden variety letters are going up to $1 ($1!).

While the gremlins were at play question time ended.

You didn't miss much except Mr Abbott declared the GP co payment was "dead, buried and cremated" (which, as you know, was a memorable line Mr Abbott once muttered in relation to Work Choices).

Moving on.....

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Immigration Minister Peter Dutton leave question time on Tuesday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Apologies for the break in transmission.

The gremlins were temporarily back.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne during question time on Tuesday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Members are told off by the Speaker for "constant giggling".

Many previous statements from Mr Abbott in favour of the GP co payment are being read by the opposition.

It wants to know whether the decision to dump the co payment was more about good policy or Mr Abbott's job.

"Sensible governments respond intelligently to what they have heard from the community," Mr Abbott says.

"What are members opposite suggesting? That we should not have done this?"

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop in discussion ahead of question time on Tuesday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Question time well and truly returns to form.

The opposition is asking the government whether it will pursue the GP co payment.

"It won't," says the Prime Minister.