MARK DREYFUS MP

Reports this morning of a renewed push by ring-wing coalition senators to destroy protections against racial hate speech confirms once again just how weak and divided this government is.

An analysis in The Australian this morning finds that Australian families face an average price hike of nearly 20 per cent on internet services as they migrate to entry-level plans on the Governments second-rate National Broadband Network.

The Minister for Communications, Senator Mitch Fifield, continues to prove the accolade given to him last year as the most ineffective politician in the land.

On top of the cruel cuts to family benefits announced this week comes another shock the independent Parliamentary Budget Offices latest unlegislated measures update has confirmed the government's plans to implement its divorce tax, which targets families going through painful separations.

Whether its with copper or with coal, Turnbull's policies are taking Australia backwards.

On Friday, I instructed my solicitors to take the significant step of writing to the Australian Government Solicitor to notify them that I will begin contempt proceedings if my simple FOI request for a portion of George Brandis’s diary is not processed within 14 days.

Australians are shocked and angered by the evidence given today at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Labor extends its warm congratulations to Susan Kiefel AC on her elevation to Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, and the Hon James Edelman on his appointment as a judge of the High Court today.

With the Northern Territory due to lose its essential shortwave radio service tomorrow, the Government is ignoring Labor's calls to do all it can to continue this critical communications service and ensure listeners in the bush are not cut off.

Once again the Turnbull Government has shown absolute contempt for Australian consumers seeking information about the NBN.