Independent Senators Nick Xenophon and Derryn Hinch secured whistleblower amendments in return for supporting the Government's Registered Organisations Bill. The greater protections afforded to whistleblowers within unions and employer organisations, could be extended to corporations and the public sector within 18 months.

Labor's taken aim at unity in the coalition after several Nationals senators abstained from voting in a motion to end a ban on the Adler shotgun last night. The Prime Minister says their absence from the vote is excusable, but the Opposition Leader's claiming cabinet unity has been compromised and is demanding the Nationals front benchers be disciplined.

A fight over water has emerged in Canberra today. Labor accused the Prime Minister of being weak by letting his Deputy Barnaby Joyce take water from Murray-Darling Basin that was intended to be used for the environment. But the Government has rejected that suggestion, saying it's committed to the basin plan, and that it will do the right thing by the environment and farmers.

US President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to pull out of the world's largest trade deal - the Trans-Pacific Partnership - of which Australia is a partner. Japan's Prime Minister says a TPP without the US is meaningless. But is it dead? Two Australian trade experts are divided over the trade deal's future.

Australia's economy is under strain, and the Government and Opposition have found a consensus of sorts about who to blame: each other. While the Government today is celebrating passing changes to superannuation that will save $3 billion, it says there's $20 billion worth of savings that still need to be passed. But Labor says Australia's Triple-A credit rating is at risk, and the Government's plans to lower tax rates for businesses won't help the budget bottom line. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister doubled-down in his support for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, who's under fire for comments he's made about Lebanese Muslims living in Australia.

The New South Wales Government has been accused of forcing the state's chief anti-corruption official out of her job, as payback for investigating the Liberal Party. ICAC Commissioner Megan Latham has resigned from her post just days after State Parliament passed changes that meant she would have had to reapply for her job, even though her tenure hadn't expired. Investigations overseen by Commissioner Latham led 10 Liberal MPs to resign or go to the crossbench in 2014 over a donations scandal. Since then she's been dogged by criticism that ICAC overstepped the mark in its quashed pursuit of Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen. Megan Latham's resignation is being viewed by many as the Government's revenge.

FEATURED TALENT:

Former ICAC Commissioner Anthony Whealy

NSW Labor Leader Luke Foley

While the initial tsunami danger may have passed, experts say it's too early to rule out the possibility of more to come off the northern coast of Japan. A powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked northern Japan this morning off the coast of Fukushima. It's affected the same area - on the northern Pacific coast - devastated by a massive quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in 2011. A tsunami of up to one metre was reported around Fukushima immediately following the quake, while the public broadcaster NHK says there have been warning of waves of up to three metres.

Our Japan correspondent Rachel Mealey joins PM from Fukushima. She says the earthquake was not as severe at the 2011 quake that caused a massive tsunami and large loss of life. The tsunami warnings have been downgraded and lifted throughout the day, and people have been returning home. Information on any possible impacts on the already crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors is yet to be released.

French voters have thrown their former president, Nicolas Sarkozy, out of the election race. Instead, ex-prime minister François Fillon, who was trailing in the polls, goes through to the second round of the conservative primaries' run-off in the top spot.

A New South Wales Health official has admitted that racism remains a barrier to retaining Aboriginal staff in the sector. Five years ago, the State Government announced a plan to recruit 1,400 more employees of Aboriginal heritage by 2015. When the deadline rolled around, NSW Health had fallen short of their target by more than 200 people. One year on, it continues to do so.