Question time in federal parliament

QUESTION TIME IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

WHAT WE LEARNED

* One child in immigration detention is one child too many, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told MPs as he committed the government to reducing numbers from 75 now to zero.

* Recent government changes now make Australia one of the toughest countries in the world on multinational tax avoidance, Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer insisted.

* Changes to the tax system must achieve three things, PM said: drive growth and jobs; be fair, something that was "absolutely critical; justified in terms of productivity output.

* Barnaby Joyce's fun ag fact: A record number of almonds - worth $600 million - is being grown this year.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN

That it's directing every sinew of its efforts to set Australia up as an innovative, dynamic 21st-century economy, the PM declared. Every lever of policy is pulling in that direction.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT

The GST and Liberal "bedwetter" MPs, who fear a rise in the tax will cost them their marginal seats at the next election.

THEY SAID WHAT

"Regrettably, the Labor Party can get into large messes much faster than their successors in government can get the nation out of them," PM chides the opposition over vocational education funding.

TOP TWEET

"There has never been a less exciting time to be an Australian scientist," Labor's Alannah MacTiernan on 350 jobs to go at CSIRO.