Editor’s Note: Welcome to this weekly recap of Australia’s news, powered by iSentiaDebate about same sex marriage dominated national politics again this week, as the Government announced 11 February as it’s preferred date for the proposed plebiscite, although opposition to the plebiscite seemed to be strengthening among cross benchers and the Labor party, with Bill Shorten yet to announce whether he will support or oppose the plebiscite legislation.  The first week of the NRL Finals went largely to script, apart from an upset win by Cronulla in Canberra, meaning they have the week off and the Raiders will need to beat a red hot Penrith Panthers team while the Broncos will play their second all Queensland final in a row against the Cowboys, but without star centre James Roberts, suspended for a week for ‘contrary conduct’.Geelong snuck past perennial finals rivals Hawthorn to get a week off, while GWS thumped the minor premier Swans to win their first ever finals match. This weekend sees Hawthorn against the Bulldogs and the Swans needing to back up against the Crows, who had a big win over North Melbourne. As with the NRL, much of the midweek media focused on tribunal decisions, the Giants Steve Johnson accepting a one week ban and all others avoiding a suspension.The Australian team has already racked up over 50 medals at the Paralympics to sit sixth on the medal tally with wins across swimming, track and field, tennis, cycling and triathlon, although the Rollers men’s wheelchair basketball team missed out on a medal for the first time in 16 years after losing to Great Britain in the quarter finals.Pauline Hanson’s second maiden speech in Federal parliament created almost as much media as her first one in 1996, when she strongly criticised Asian migration and inidigenous welfare programs. This time the focus was squarely on people of Muslim faith, with the Greens walking out of the chamber during the speech, while a number of Government ministers stated they might not agree with everything Hanson said, but that her views should be respected.Quote of the week: "“We have in our Riverina Museum in Wagga Wagga the Gold Chiko Roll given to us by the manufacturers, acknowledging the fact that Wagga Wagga is home of the Chiko Roll.”. Minister for Small Business and MP for Riverina Michael McCormack responding to the Member for Calare’s claim that the Chiko Roll was from Bathurst, only to be trumped by Bendigo MP Lara Chesters, who pointed to the packet, which says a Bendigo man invented the famous snack.