MARK DREYFUS MP

Art groups will have the opportunity previously denied to them to let the Abbott Government know what they think of its decision to strip $105 million from the Australia Council.

Allan Browne, Australian jazz great, has died in Melbourne, aged 70.

An urgent Senate inquiry will be held into the Abbott Governments handling of a letter to Attorney-General George Brandis from the Lindt Cafe siege gunman Man Haron Monis.

Tony Abbott has gagged federal parliament to prevent it debating his ministers failure to properly correct misleading statements about a letter from the Lindt Cafe siege gunman.

Coalition members of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee must agree to an urgent inquiry into why a letter from Man Haron Monis, sent to the Attorney-General nine weeks before the Lindt Cafe siege in Sydney, was withheld from a review into the tragedy.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott must explain why a letter from Man Haron Monis sent to George Brandis only nine weeks before the Sydney Lindt Cafe siege was withheld from the inquiry into the tragedy.

Labor will move to establish a Senate inquiry into the Coalition's new arts slush fund.

The Abbott Government's politically-motivated decision to strip over $100 million from the independent Australia Council has been revealed at a chaotic Senate Estimates hearing as policy making on the run which will hurt small and medium sized arts organisations and emerging artists.

Labor will ask a Senate inquiry into the establishment of the Coalition's new $105 million arts slush fund to look into claims that Senator George Brandis has already paid over $1 million to a group connected to one of his staff.

Labor congratulates Mr Moriarty on his appointment.