Government faces budget, burqa and Ebola focus

The budget, the burqa and Ebola will dominate federal politics when parliament returns on today.

But Canberra will be absent Prime Minister Tony Abbott, who will attend the presidential inauguration of Joko Widodo in Jakarta, and Treasurer Joe Hockey, who is headed to China for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

Labor continued its attack on the government's response to the Ebola epidemic at the weekend, with foreign affairs spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek accusing it of doing the wrong thing.

The opposition and medical groups want the government to send health personnel to West Africa to help contain the outbreak.

The federal government has provided $18 million in aid but refuses to put health staff in harm's way without an evacuation plan in place.

The Senate will focus on estimates hearings, where the government's unpopular budget will be put under further scrutiny.

Controversial parliamentary restrictions on burqa wearers will also be in effect.

People with facial coverings can now watch parliament only from glassed-off galleries, a decision Mr Abbott has asked Speaker Bronwyn Bishop to reconsider.

"Anybody who is in the galleries in question time has been through two security checking points," Ms Plibersek said yesterday.

"It is a ridiculous, just a ridiculous position that anyone should be segregated."