The day in federal parliament

TODAY IN FEDERAL PARLIAMENT

* The House of Representatives and Senate sitting - the last scheduled day before the winter break.

* A Senate vote expected on the government's schools funding overhaul, aka Gonski 2.0.

* Question time in both houses at 2pm.

WHAT'S MAKING NEWS * The Senate is set for another late night marathon debate to pass the government's Gonski 2.0 schools funding package.

* A Senate committee has told Centrelink to halt its widely-criticised automated debt recovery program until apparent flaws in the system are fixed.

* A Senate inquiry into whether the federal government sought to short-change taxpayers in a deal with WA finds the attorney-general was reluctant to intervene.

* Immigration Minister Peter Dutton believes Labor has failed to do its homework or is misleading the public over its criticism of proposed English tests for citizenship applications.

* Pauline Hanson is under fire for saying children with disabilities should be taught in special classrooms so they don't hold back other kids.

* Australia's first black African senator has opened up about her childhood in Kenya, declaring citizenship a "privilege" and not a right.

* The federal and Victorian Police will investigate construction union state secretary John Setka's threat to "expose" building watchdog inspectors.

WHAT'S ON THE AGENDA

* The House of Reps: Government introduces new legislation including for regional broadband telecommunications; budget welfare changes including simplifying seven payments into one; stronger work tests for the dole. MPs debate other government legislation.

* Senate: Senators debate a private bill until midday. Debate resumes on schools funding package until a vote is taken.

ARGY-BARGY

* Government spin: All the "disgusting things" construction union official John Setka said about hunting down building watchdog inspectors.

* Opposition attack: Why is the prime minister punishing parents who choose to give their children a Catholic education?

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING

"It's no coincidence that the leader of the opposition's initials are BS because he's a fraud." - Treasurer Scott Morrison says about Labor leader Bill Shorten.

TWEETED

@kurtfearnley: Pauline Hanson "we need to get rid of kids with autism from mainstream classrooms". No, we need to get rid of you from mainstream politics.