David Crowe

The firebrand senator threw papers at Pauline Hanson after fellow independent Fatima Payman launched a furious attack on the One Nation leader, calling her racist.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is warning about the loss of innocent lives and the damage to the world from growing conflicts.

Albanese said he took responsibility for the changes against accusations from the Coalition he had betrayed the trust of voters.

Changing the controversial stage three tax cuts would leave the federal government open to Coalition criticism that it broke an election promise.

The Royal Australian Air Force planned a long route from New Delhi to a refuelling stop in Tokyo on the way to the US so the prime minister and his delegation would remain outside Chinese airspace.

Trade Minister Don Farrell is confident of meeting with his Chinese counterpart soon, as Australia seeks an expanded trade deal with India this year.

The government will announce the new post on Monday when it assembles business and government leaders for a meeting that aims to step up defences in corporate and public systems.

The government will be forced to negotiate with the Senate crossbench to set up the manufacturing fund and the separate $10 billion Housing Australia Future Fund, setting the scene for amendments to how the funds are invested.

The PM has told the industry chiefs he wants to increase public investment in mining as the government gained ground in negotiations to pass a new law to enforce emissions cuts.

More than half the recipients in a grants program overseen by Scott Morrison were located in Coalition electorates and several others were based in electorates he was desperate to win.

Scott Morrison is asking Australians to back his economic record and Anthony Albanese wants them to hope for the future, as new data shows the Coalition is struggling in Queensland.