Sydney news

From Townsville down to Mackay, residents are bunkering down in preparation of what's tipped to be the worst cyclone to hit north Queensland since Yasi in 2011. But as tropical cyclone Debbie charts its way further south, authorities have just issued a fresh warning and evacuation orders for residents of Mackay. Debbie, now a category three cyclone, is now tipped to cross the coast as a category four between Bowen and Mackay. It's due to hit in the morning, coinciding with a tidal surge.

This afternoon, the Government passed its bill to cut business taxes to 25 per cent through the Lower House. But there's still no sign that it's got enough support from the Senate crossbench for it to become law. Meanwhile, as the Prime Minister tries to keep attention on the Government's efforts to rein in electricity prices, the Opposition has used Question Time to probe whether the Treasurer Scott Morrison still has the support from his colleagues.