MARK DREYFUS MP

Always unpredictable, always interesting, always prolific, Bob Ellis will be a great loss to Australian literature, Australian film, and Australian politics.

According to reports today, Mr Turnbull has chosen Arthur Sinodinos, the man embroiled in the biggest donations scandal in the history of the New South Wales Liberal Party, to headline a $8,000-a-head fundraiser with him.

The Abbott-Turnbull Government has all but confirmed it will abolish the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT), which was established by the previous Labor Government to ensure Australian roads were safer for all users.

Prime Minister Turnbull and his Attorney-General George Brandis have gone to great lengths to present their decision today to use the Governor-General to override Parliament as a normal and unremarkable occurrence.

This morning the Turnbull Government quietly advertised for a Disability Discrimination Commissioner.But the advertisement provides more questions than answers.

The Turnbull Government's recycled announcement that it will provide $2.5 million to the Women's Services Network (WESNET) to support women experiencing technology facilitated abuse is as welcome now as when it was first announced but is not compensation for cuts to frontline services.

I welcome confirmation from the Australian Federal Police today that an investigation has been launched into misconduct by former Human Services minister Stuart Robert following my referral of February 14.

Prime Minister Turnbull is proceeding with a damaging, wasteful plebiscite on same-sex marriage to appease the right-wing of his party, and now cant even get on with his plans because of their latest offensive demands for exemptions from anti-discrimination laws. What a farce this important issue has become.

A report by Pricewaterhouse Coopers released today, shows Malcolm Turnbull’s unnecessary and divisive plebiscite on marriage equality will cost the Australian economy a staggering $525 million.

Senator George Brandis' admission on Sky News this morning that the Turnbull Liberals will waste $160m on a marriage equality plebiscite before the end of the year has exposed the lengths Malcolm Turnbull is going to placate the far right wing of his party.