Your noon Briefing

Welcome to your noon roundup of how the day has played out so far and what to watch for.

Hello readers. Here is your noon digest of what’s making news and a long read for lunchtime.

Tony Abbott in Question Time in the House of Representatives Chamber, Parliament House in Canberra. Picture Kym Smith

‘Turnbull set Newspoll test’

Tony Abbott says it was Malcolm Turnbull who set the test of 30 Newspoll failures in order to roll him as prime minister, and Mr Turnbull will have to explain why that test shouldn’t apply to him if he reaches 30 losses next month. Today’s Newspoll in The Australian shows Mr Turnbull’s lead over Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister has evaporated, with the leaders now 37-35 respectively following the fallout from the Barnaby Joyce scandal.

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Margot Robbie attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Picture: Getty

Oscars live

As the stars hit the Oscars red carpet, it looks as if a dress blackout, to protest Hollywood harassment, has been shelved. Don’t miss any of the red carpet action or the big winners in our live Oscars blog with Glynis Trail-Nash and Stephen Romei bringing you all the latest developments.

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EMBARGOED FOR PRINT - NOT FOR ONLINE TIL MARCH 3, 2018 Former Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and his pregnant partner Vikki Campion pictured at Canberra airport. Picture: Kym Smith

Hanson slams ‘fool’ Joyce

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson says Barnaby Joyce may have been trying to sabotage the government when he spoke out about uncertainty over the paternity of his partner’s unborn child over the weekend. The former deputy prime minister revived interest in his personal life yesterday by saying the issue of his former media adviser Vikki Campion’s child’s paternity was a “grey area”.

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WASHINGTON DC.... US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania host Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the White House in Washington DC. . Pic Nathan Edwards

‘No tariff exclusions’

The White House has ruled out granting Australia an exemption from Donald Trump’s new tariffs on steel and aluminium unless the president himself changes his mind. White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro gave the clearest sign yet that there will be no exemptions for US allies when Mr Trump formally signs the new tariffs into law later this week.

“At this point in time there’s no country exclusions ... soon as he exempts one country, his phone starts ringing with the heads of state of other countries.”

Peter Navarro

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THE VANISHING SIGNATURE OF THE LIBERALS’ FEDERAL TREASURER ANDREW BURNES

The long read: War chest divides Libs

Pamela Williams suggests that trouble may be on the cards for the Liberals as the party’s quest for a new model of funding risks stirring divisions.

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Comment of the day

“One day the penny might drop. The only person to blame for the unpopularity of Turnbull, is Turnbull himself.”

Joan, in response to ‘Malcolm Turnbull suffers drop as preferred PM in the wake of Barnaby Joyce’s baby scandal’.