Social, national security to head agenda
Social security and national security will dominate the next three days of federal parliament sittings.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to outline how Australia will directly respond to the incursions by Islamic State extremists in northern Iraq as part of a US-led coalition to halt their advance.
Australian RAAF aircraft based in the Middle East have already conducted preliminary flights in preparation for any action cabinet may approve in coming days.
The Australian Greens are pushing for a parliamentary debate on the merits of military forces returning to Iraq for the first time in five years once the sitting session resumes on Tuesday.
At the same time the government is keen to strike a deal to get a raft of budget savings from welfare and pension changes, contained in two bills, through the Senate.
While Labor has offered to pass some of the budget changes, it opposes most of the measures.
The measures it supports include passing changes to the family tax benefit part B primary earner income limit from $150,000 to $100,000, and a stricter means test for the seniors healthcare card, that will assess untaxed superannuation.
But Labor is opposing more contentious measures that quarantine benefits from young people for six months and lock out family payments for those with kids older than six.
The government appears to be open to reducing the dole waiting period from six months to one month.
Palmer United Party crossbenchers, who have sided with the government on more than half of the votes taken since July, have been vocal in their opposition to the bills, as have the Greens.
Mr Abbott and Treasurer Joe Hockey are keen to finalise as many outstanding budget measures as possible before the release of the budget update in December, while cutting the government's losses on the least popular steps.
A landmark report on grandparents raising grandchildren will be tabled in the Senate when it sits from Tuesday.
