Those debates have revolved around global health, climate change and energy.
And it's energy again that's dominating Australia's domestic policy agenda.
The latest Treasury forecasts have been released, showing wholesale gas prices are down.
In Queensland they're predicted to drop by 44 per cent, while in New South Wales they're likely to go down by 38 per cent.
South Australia is expecting a 32 per cent decrease, and in Victoria, it's 29 per cent.
Those figures date to December 21st, less than a week after Parliament was recalled to pass the assistance package.
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen says that shows Labor's policy is doing the job.
That intervention, while we still have some way to go and we still have some work to do, is having an impact. The forward prices for wholesale energy in Australia are down significantly from when we acted last year.
The Coalition has continued to question the intervention's effects, pointing to international factors.
Nationals leader David Littleproud says the price caps on coal and gas are unnecessary because international conditions are driving costs.
The Nationals leader says the cap's main impact is jeopardising investment and domestic supply.
