The prime minister says there is a long way to go before fuel relief payments will stop, as fuel prices finally drop below the $3 mark for the first time since March.
The Beehive could be vacated for refurbishments, with Parliament's Speaker saying a decision on repairs to the executive wing would probably be made in the next Parliamentary term.
The Internal Affairs Minister has taken a swipe at government agencies taking a relaxed approach to public accountability despite being responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars.
The Greens have received a surge of support in a new poll, with the party nudging the left bloc into a position to govern if an election was held today.
An election-year tiff about policy spending highlights the need for an independent watchdog to weigh in on the country's big, expensive problems, an economist says.