Damaging leaks are the bread and butter of political reporting.

But a leak of a different kind has got parliament aflutter.

• Government announces refugee changes

A thunderstorm over Canberra has exposed a leak in the ceiling of the House of Representatives chamber.

Speaker Bronwyn Bishop stopped proceedings for a few minutes after noticing a problem.

“I notice that our roof is leaking,” she said.

“I realise leaking is a common problem for political parties. We may need a bucket.”

“Now you can see why this building is in need of repair.”

Treasurer Joe Hockey used it to attack Labor, saying it exposed the dire state of infrastructure left by the previous government.

The incident came just after Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce declared his support for more dams.

-ABC/AAP