MARK DREYFUS MP

Last night during Consideration in Detail in the Federation Chamber, Shadow Justice Minister Michael Keenan was asked a simple question: where is the funding for the government's plans to prevent family violence victims from being cross-examined by their abusers in court?

It has been four days since ASIO boss Duncan Lewis appeared at Senate estimates, and expertly handled a series of clumsy questions from Senator Pauline Hanson alleging a connection between refugees and terrorism.

Labor welcomes the announcement today that the Catholic Church will join the national redress scheme for institutional survivors of child sexual abuse.

Federal Labor is concerned by a lack of progress in securing an agreement on a national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, following today's meeting between the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter and state attorneys-general.

Attorney-General George Brandis's revelation in Senate Question Time today that he personally authorised the use of taxpayer dollars to defend three government ministers in court on a contempt matter is shocking.

The incompetence of George Brandis has today prevented important native title reforms being passed through the Parliament.

After spending four years attacking free legal assistance, resisting cross-examination reform and creating crushing backlogs in the work of the court system, George Brandis's self-proclaimed reinvention as the saviour of the family court system is galling.

Not all the zombie budget measures were destroyed in last night's unfair budget unbelievably, the Turnbull government has brought the marriage equality plebiscite back from the dead.

The Turnbull Government has taken three years to accept the Productivity Commission's 2014 recommendation to stop alleged domestic violence perpetrators from personally cross-examining their victims, after arguing for more than a year the changes were not necessary.

The World Trade Organisation has upheld Labor's world-first plain packaging laws, in a severe blow to tobacco companies who have tried to undermine these laws from the start.