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Federal Politics Live: October 20, 2014

Updated October 20, 2014 — 4:58pm,first published October 20, 2014 — 8:50am

4.58pm on Oct 20, 2014

Well that's it for the day from me, Andrew Meares and Alex Ellinghausen.

Let's do a quick recap:

the ban on people entering Parliament House with what are now referred to as "facial coverings" was lifted;

but who said what to whom about it is murky with Speaker Bronwyn Bishop contradicting Prime Minister Tony Abbott's earlier statements that he had asked her to consider it;

the cost of housing asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island cost $1 billion;

the government stands to raise $5.5 billion from the sale of Medibank Private; and

the government released its green paper on agricultural competitiveness.

Democracy - it's a wonderful thing.

Thank you to everyone who read and commented today. It's great to be back. Until tomorrow, good night.

4.49pm on Oct 20, 2014

Immigration correspondent Sarah Whyte has filed this story on the $1 billion cost of housing 2100 asylum seekers on Nauru and Manus Island.

Running the detention centre on Manus Island has cost taxpayers $632 million, Sarah writes, while the cost of Nauru is $434 million, a Senate estimates commitee has heard.

4.38pm on Oct 20, 2014

Mr Abbott looks quite happy to be there.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott waves after being acknowledged during the inauguration ceremony of Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Jakarta on Monday.Alex Ellinghausen

4.37pm on Oct 20, 2014

Speaking of pesky photographers being disruptive (see 9.29am post) here's one the photographs taken by Alex Ellinghausen in Jakarta.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo shouts "Merdeka" during his speech at his inauguration ceremony at the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in Jakarta on Monday.Alex Ellinghausen

4.20pm on Oct 20, 2014

If you are, like me, someone who likes a bit of certainty in life then Parliament is on your side.

The sitting calendar for next year has been released so you need never fear missing a moment.

You can find it here.

4.10pm on Oct 20, 2014

Oh alright. Here's the video about the walrus question (see 3.13pm post).

3.55pm on Oct 20, 2014

Amid the talk of girlie men there has been some policy work done in Canberra today.

Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has promised to defend the interests of family farmers against mining companies and supermarket giants but has also proposed am ambitious dam building program.

Releasing a green paper on agricultural competitiveness, Senator Joyce said there was "still a lot of money in agriculture today, it's just that different people get it".

3.46pm on Oct 20, 2014

Conversation over.

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop during question time on Monday.Andrew Meares

3.25pm on Oct 20, 2014

Manager of opposition business, Tony Burke, seeks to ask the Speaker, Bronwyn Bishop, some questions about the ban on people entering the public galleries with their faces covered.

He would like to know whether Mrs Bishop or her office ever received a request from the Prime Minister's office to revise her decision.

"In a word, no," Mrs Bishop says.

3.22pm on Oct 20, 2014

Question time is over.

Federal Politics Live: October 20, 2014

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