Cost of living remains a sore point for voters as political year wraps

Welcome back to your weekly federal politics update, where Courtney Gould gets you up to speed on the happenings from Parliament House.

Richard Marles had almost completed his run of morning interviews when a question on a review into Australia's gas market caused him to pause.

"Look, well, I am not about to give you speculation about all of that in terms of the gas review — but it will come in next week," Marles started.

"So, sorry — it will come next week?" the host interjected.

Marles froze, mind turning over what he said. After likely deciding they were speaking about two different things (an actual reservation policy vs the review) he softened into a laugh.

"No, I absolutely did not say that," Marles told Sky News. "We will, we will have the gas review come in, in due course."

The problem with that split-second decision is that it doesn't always play well in a transcript. Or a quick clip online.

The government has long said its review into the Australian gas market will be handed back by the end of the year. It hasn't ruled out adopting a policy to force east coast gas producers to reserve some of their supply for the domestic market.

An announcement is expected as early as next week after cabinet gives it the stamp of approval. That decision is set to come at a crossroads of another one: whether to continue energy rebates at the midyear economic update amid a spike in electricity prices and an uptick in headline inflation. 

Focus back on cost of living

If you need any proof that Australian voters' minds are still squarely concentrated on the cost of living, look no further than the hullabaloo surrounding Anika Wells' trip to the United Nations General Assembly.

The minister's trip was to spruik Australia's social media ban to world leaders. Wells was forced to delay the trip because of the Optus crisis. It came out this week that the cost of the flights for herself, her deputy chief of staff, and a senior public servant totalled almost $100,000.

When asked about it, Wells argued that the travel was within the guidelines and she'd been transparent by declaring it.

There's an argument here that the minister had every right to address her peers on the legislation she is shepherding. But public sentiment, especially on something as electorally sore as the cost of living, often has nothing to do with a minister's commitments or the technicalities of what is within guidelines.

At a time when many might be reconsidering booking their own last-minute flights to see family and friends for Christmas because of the cost, you can't blame a voter for wondering at what price point would a minister, and their staff, pull the pin?

It's also an easy sell for the Coalition who are obviously keen to ramp up their attack on a minister they think could be vulnerable. 

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, the opposition has been sharpening its focus on the social media ban for under 16s. While it's supportive of the policy, it's questioned if Wells can actually deliver the world-leading reforms. 

Wells, who appeared at the National Press Club this week, wanted to talk up the age restrictions. But the fault lines between the practised polish of the minister's lines and questions she didn't want to answer (the cost of her flights, gambling advertising reforms) were jarring.

As was the government's decision this week to "take out the trash" of releasing the so-called "jobs for mates" report (and reject the key recommendations) while the prime minister was off on his honeymoon.

The wedding at the Lodge between Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon was a fitting end to a year that seemed to dance around divorces and political unions.

After early polling suggested it was going to be an uphill battle for Labor to hold onto a majority, voters instead handed the Coalition a reality check and unceremoniously dumped Peter Dutton.

A quick separation between the Coalition kicked off the seemingly never ending internal quarrel over net zero (which is now threatening to push into migration) as the Liberals and the Nationals try and figure out their identity as they struggle to win back the hearts and minds of voters.

And who could forget Barnaby Joyce's brutal break-up with the Nationals (and the still unanswered question of when he'll hook up with Pauline Hanson's One Nation).

From democracy sausages to the Albanese meetings with Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, it's safe to say this year has been a busy one. 

A large backbench gives Albanese some political capital to burn. He’ll have to decide next year if he has the appetite to do so. 

As our national political lead David Speers has canvassed, the government has some tough choices ahead of it. Will next year's budget look towards repair, or tax reform? Does the PM push forward with his plan for universal child care? Or could Labor move to do something not done since the Hawke era and expand the parliament?

If anything big is to be tackled, it's likely it'll be flagged next year. Nestled right in the middle of the electoral cycle, the idea would be that it gives enough time to warm voters up before facing them at the ballot box. 

See you next year

A big thanks to the friends inside the ABC's Parliament House bureau who are always watching — even when things are seriously boring or when the rest of us are at home watching The Summer I Turned Pretty or Severance.

I stand on the shoulders of Brett Worthington, who farewelled the newsletter earlier this year after six years at the helm, and my editors Elise Scott and Gina Rushton. Thank you for tuning in and continuing to read as I found my footing.

While the newsletter will be taking a break over the summer, we'll have reporters on deck to keep an eye on all the latest in federal politics. May your summer be carefree, your drinks cold and may Australia win the Ashes.

Mark your calendars, the wrap will be back on January 29. Catch you on the flip side.