Politics live as the Turnbull government introduces higher education changes

Time to wrap up. What happened?

• Coalition MPs were all in a lather over news US President Trump could pull out of the Paris climate change agreement;
• those who dislike the agreement were thrilled;
• Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says Australia will honour its commitment regardless of what the US decides to do;
• there were some very entertaining climate related exchanges in a committee hearing; and
• Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has backed the head of ASIO over comments about refugees and terrorism.

My thanks to Alex Ellinghausen and Andrew Meares for their stupendous work and to you for reading and commenting.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Alex, Andrew and I will be back - with Parliament - on June 13. We hope to see you then. Until then, go well.

Which reminds me - I now have a video you can watch about Senator Malcolm Roberts' curious claims about climate change.

Do you think there is a link between refugees and terrorism, Mr Joyce is asked.

"Er no, not really, no, not at all," he says.

"That's like saying they're [terrorists] all blokes. That's like saying there's a link between testicles and terrorism."

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce is speaking on Sky News.

"If you sign on to something you see it through," he says in relation to the Paris climate agreement.

And that's it for question time.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is asked about the Paris climate agreement.

"When Australia makes a commitment to a global agreement we follow through," he says, "and that is exactly what we are doing".

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton is gleefully referencing a story about Labor MPs' concern with the government's new citizenship test (which no one has seen yet).

"It's not every day I quote the Fairfax press," Mr Dutton says.

"But today I feel compelled."

And I tune back into question time to hear Social Services Minister Christian Porter referencing New Kids on the Block.

It's definitely the second Thursday of a sitting fortnight.

"It's in our interest to minimise the cost of adjusting in 40, 50 years' time," Senator Sinodinos says.

(He might need another biscuit soon.)

"We can't end up with a situation where we throw the baby out with the bathwater."
 

Senator Macdonald wants to know what the point of Australia remaining in the Paris agreement since our national emissions are low (compared to the rest of the world).

Dr Finkel says it's a bit like voting: "Does my vote count? No, it doesn't but if everyone took the view that their vote didn't count, then we wouldn't have a democracy."

Senator Sinodinos says the US leaving the agreement would be bad for international certainty, particularly for investors.

"We make a lot of agreements," Senator Sinodinos says.

That's it for Senator Roberts.

Coalition senator Ian Macdonald asks what will happen if the US does pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

Dr Finkel says the US "is one country out of nearly 200, one very important country".

"That's a blow to the accord, but it's not fatal."

Senator Roberts asks where Professor Finkel gets his information on climate science from.

Dr Finkel nominates the "many respected scientists" at the CSIRO and the Bureau of Metereology.

"I don't go out actively looking for the competing opinions. I'm by nature an inquisitive, a moderately sceptical person. From my perspective I don't see any credible, competing opinions to the core suppositions of climate change."

Senator Roberts says he "deliberately steers clear of the 'c' word".

(That would be 'conspiracy'.)

Senator Roberts wants to ask about NASA data which he disputes.

Science Minister Arthur Sinodinos is having none of it.

"Have you raised this issue with the US administration, the FBI?" he asks.

He wants to know if Senator Roberts is suggesting "a global conspiracy of like-minded scientists, the US, the Australian governments".

Senator Roberts wants to know if it's important for scientists to keep an open mind.

Yes, Dr Finkel says, "but not so open that your brain leaks out".

One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts is questioning Dr Finkel (Senator Roberts only has ten minutes so I'll just stick with this before going to question time).

"What is the first duty of a scientist?" Senator Roberts begins.

Dr Finkel says he is not sure if there is just one thing: "The pursuit of knowledge, truth....Science is a complex profession."

Nearly question time.

"As to what the Trump administration does, that is a matter for them," Mr Frydenberg says.

Mr Frydenberg says he does not share Craig Kelly's views.

"The Turnbull government is fully committed to the Paris agreement," Mr Frydenberg says.

He points out Australian ratified its commitment the day after Mr Trump was elected.

Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg will be sent out to calm the troops in about a quarter of an hour's time.