Question time in federal parliament

QUESTION TIME IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

WHAT WE LEARNT:

* Question time is changing from November. The first 40 minutes will run as normal but the period from 2.40pm to 3.10pm will be handed over to backbench members who will be able to "jump" to their feet and ask questions without notice on local issues. The format will mirror that used in the British House of Commons.

* Australia has had the lowest carbon emissions since 2004 in trend and seasonal terms, Environment Minister Greg Hunt told MPs after being quizzed on modelling for 2020 levels.

* Independent MP Bob Katter voted with his feet and walked from the chamber heckling Josh Frydenberg before the Northern Australia minister had a chance to finish answering his question about the $506 million sale of the Port of Darwin to a privately-owned Chinese industrial conglomerate.

* The government is working on a revised family payments reform package that the PM says will strike a balance between achieving significant savings while still providing sufficient financial support to those families most in need.

* The government has no plans to change the Racial Discrimination Act "at all" by seeking to remove the words "offend" and "insult" from Section 18c.

* The future of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation is unclear. The PM says its job could be done by the private sector, but considering the Senate is blocking government moves to abolish the agency it's likely to remain in operation.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN: Its response to the Murray review of Australia's financial system. "We are providing Australians with greater choice and control over their money," Treasurer Scott Morrison said.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT: Anything Malcolm Turnbull has said in the past six years, especially on the touchy issues of climate action, free speech and same-sex marriage.

WHAT THEY SAID:

"We're waiting to hear from Stanley Melbourne Bruce's election manifesto that will undoubtedly be raised soon," the PM jests about Labor questioning of his climate action views in 2009.

"People like having a say. People like having a vote," Turnbull about the planned plebiscite on same-sex marriage.

WHAT THE MICROPHONES DIDN'T PICK UP:

"I like your old stuff better than your new stuff", Labor MP Tim Watts to Turnbull as he discredits emissions trading schemes.

"That's if they vote you back in", Labor MP Rob Mitchell as Turnbull explains he'll put gay marriage to the people with a plebiscite.

"They're all cities ministers," Opposition Leader Bill Shorten as Labor questions who is responsible for cities.

TWEETED:

"I've got a range of questions I would love to ask Treasurer Morrison! Where do I send them?" Stephen Koukoulas.

"I notice @kevinandrewsmp has bumped @TonyAbbottMHR from his seat. To me it looks like a move to his left, but surely that can't be correct," Labor MP Graham Perrett.

"He's at The furniture shops looking for coffee table tops," Labor colleague Rob Mitchell tells Perrett.

"I liked Turnbull more when he was a blogger," Labor's Tim Watts.

"Future Malcolm refuses to recognise Past Malcolm. If it happened longer than a month ago - it didn't happen," Watts again.

"Turnbull is that guy at the dinner party. The one who hijacks every conversation with a lengthy personal anecdote," Watts goes for the trifecta.