Question time in federal parliament

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT QUESTION TIME

WHAT WE LEARNED

* Nothing new or confirmed about a reported telephone conversation Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk about a state government job for retiring Liberal MP Ian Macfarlane.

* The government, of course, is not privatising Medicare, the PM assured Labor leader Bill Shorten before accusing him of creating a "pathetic scare".

* The government, though, is reviewing funding for children's dental health care, claiming a Labor-initiated scheme only has a 30 per cent take-up rate.

* Speakers, sometimes, do apologise to MPs. "I don't want her to be shocked but I think she had a valid point of order," Tony Smith told Labor's Terri Butler.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN

More good news about the economy, including a fall in the jobless rate.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT

The government's increasing tax take compared to national income - now higher than at any time under Labor - and a non-existent tax policy.

YOU SAID WHAT

"The way that he has sought to describe any critic of the Safe Schools program as being an extremist or an ideologue or worse is utterly unworthy and he should recognise that inflaming this debate is unworthy," PM warns Shorten.

TWEETED

"I think everyone needs a Milo and a nana nap," Liberal senator James McGrath says of a feisty session in the upper house.