Question Time in federal parliament

WHAT WE LEARNED

- Senate is sitting this week, without the House of Representatives.

- NSW is in a state of emergency due to the bushfire threat.

- The military is on stand-by in case it is needed to help fight bushfires.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO SPIN

- The government is helping small business and farmers in drought-hit areas.

WHAT LABOR WANTED TO TALK ABOUT

- What is the government doing about a regional jobs program that was the subject of an adverse audit report?

WHAT THEY SAID

"Moree is like a moon landscape." - Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie on the drought.

"How can the deputy prime minister have full confidence that all projects awarded under the Regional Jobs and Investment Packages program represent value for money." - Labor senator Anne Urquhart.

"Bushfire victims are suffering from the climate crisis." - Greens senator Larissa Waters.

"We know that climate change is causing heatwaves, fire weather and drought to become more frequent and intense that is why we have a raft of measures across government to actually deal with this." - Senator McKenzie.