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Politics Live: February 26, 2014

Updated February 26, 2014 — 6:06pm,first published February 26, 2014 — 8:51am

6.06pm on Feb 26, 2014

As we head off for a kale smoothie, what did we learn today?

When there are no magic wands, $300 million or so will have to do;
Compared to the Craig Thomson affair, the government has been a model of public administration over its handling of Alastair Furnival (wouldn't just about anything?);
Mess with Jane Halton are your personal peril;
The Navy thinks it would be more accurate if the national anthem was was changed to say "girt by beach";
Sometimes it really is more convenient for everyone if you just apologise. It means the whole parliament - and country - can move on.

5.52pm on Feb 26, 2014

Estimates will again continue into the night.

We note that the Education Committee is currently asking questions about Kevin Donnelly's recent appointment to review the school curriculum.

Also up this evening are the Australian Tax Office and Department of Veterans' Affairs.

5.47pm on Feb 26, 2014

Now, before we punch out for the soir, a bit of an update on the Education Department hearing.

Matthew Knott reports that the intricacies of the Gonski funding model have been scrutinised this afternoon.

Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie has expressed unhappiness that $20.7 million of taxpayers' money was spent promoting the model to the public. Especially because the final deals between Labor and the states varied in some aspects - such as on loadings for disability students - and differed from Gonski's original vision.

Greens senator Penny Wright focused on the plan for independent public schools - an issue that has caused some friction between the NSW and federal governments.

Wright managed to get some new information on how the federal government will decide which schools qualify as independent.

The five key principles are: 1. increased parental involvement in schools; 2. making schools more accountable to the local community; 3. streamlined budgets; 4. local management of school facilities; and 5. increased power for principals over staffing.

There will be a test tomorrow morning on how well you remember them.

5.39pm on Feb 26, 2014

And I've got places like my office to be anyway.