Canberra’s countdown to the political close of 2025 is about to be dominated by all-out battles on two fronts

Parliament’s final sitting week of 2025 looks set to be dominated by two different kinds of power struggle - with both set to have huge political ramifications.

The first concerns the intensifying battle over the rising costs of electricity bills continuing to slug households. The second one centres on which leaders will still be in their positions next year.

It was the Opposition putting the first of those struggles forward during Monday’s Question Time by repeatedly trying to hammer the Albanese government on its election promise to reduce power bills by $275 while also targeting the absent “part time” Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley demanded the Prime Minister reveal how many days the “part-time Energy Minister delivering a part-time energy grid” would have to spend overseas in his new role as COP President leading international climate negotiations.

“Why is it that this part-time minister, full-time president, isn’t using this unprecedented influence to lower energy bills for Australians?” Ms Ley asked, highlighting Mr Bowen’s absence from Parliament as he makes his way home from COP30 in Brazil.

Anthony Albanese hit back claiming the Coalition consistently talks Australia “down” and insisting countries in the Pacific have welcomed Australia’s involvement in next years’ COP event.

“Over recent days, there are communique issued by every single country supporting the Paris agreement, supporting a reduction in emissions, recognising that it is not a choice between a strong economy and sustainability,” he said.

Labor is highlighting coalition divisions on climate policy after the opposition ditched its commitment to net-zero emissions targets by 2050 and as Ms Ley spruiks a new energy policy following infighting in her ranks.

After being handed a question by the PM, Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the Climate Minister’s two roles were “not conflicting objectives”, before claiming the Coalition “couldn’t give a toss about electricity prices”.

“I think if anyone is scratching around for a reason why those opposites are unfit for office, it is all of these questions that suggest that Australia should not have an influential voice in the direction that the world is taking on energy,” he said.

“If they really cared about lower electricity prices for Australians, they wouldn’t have come up with this economic insanity, which is to try and run interference on an orderly transition to net zero in our economy.”

When challenged by Nationals leader David Littleproud on the Government’s promise of a $275 reduction in power bills, the Treasurer laid the blame for rising household power bills on “ageing parts of the grid”.

“The leader of the Nationals said once: ‘It is a good thing that renewables are coming on, the disruptions happening with technology moving towards renewable energy, particularly in storage for base load, is exciting, and I think it is a good thing’.

“The reason there has been upward pressure on electricity prices is because the ageing parts of the grid are becoming less and less reliable as they get closer and closer to exiting the grid,” Dr Chalmers told the House.

While the Coalition targeted the absent Climate Minister, one of its own most prominent figures - West Australian backbencher Andrew Hastie, was also noticeably missing from Monday’s Question Time.

Adding to the continuing intrigue surrounding Ms Ley’s future as Opposition Leader, her younger rival did not make it to Canberra in time for Parliament’s resumption because he is still recovering from shoulder surgery in Perth last week.

The Canning MP, who according to Newspoll is increasingly seen as the best alternative to Ms Ley as Liberal leader, injured his shoulder in a jujitsu lesson in June and emailed supporters on Friday to say that he’d had “a repair job” on it last Wednesday.

On Tuesday an increasingly pessimistic Liberal party room will gather ahead of the usual joint meeting with Nationals colleagues, as the Coalition continues to record a historic low primary vote of 24 percent but with still no certainty on its future leadership options.

Across Parliament House talk of Ms Ley falling victim to the traditional pre-Christmas “killing season” has died down, and there are growing expectations she will see out the final sitting week and remain opposition leader into the New Year.

Trying to keep the focus on the Coalition’s divisions, Defence Minister Richard Marles told invoked the Roman empire while taunting the Opposition and referring to leadership aspirants Angus Taylor and Andrew Hastie in Question time.

“No matter what they are talking about, what fundamentally characterises the Coalition is that they are deeply divided … You have Brutus One and Brutus Two up there, knives sharpening,” Mr Marles said.

Before Parliament is scheduled to rise for the year another former Liberal Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, is expected to return to the building for the unveiling of his official portrait on Thursday.

Ms Ley will presumably be there to witness her former colleague’s big moment, breathing a sigh of relief knowing Alexander Downer’s record of being the shortest serving Liberal leader for just eight months remains intact.

Before Parliament does rise, the Government is hoping to finally land a deal to pass its long-awaited overhaul of environmental laws, which Minister Murray Watt has confidently predicted will happen this week.

The problem for Labor is that the Coalition seems increasingly against the idea of handing a “win” to the Government before Christmas, so if a deal is to be made this week it’s more likely to be with the Greens.

And as the end of year parliamentary festive drinks begin to be poured – there is still no sign of the sitting calendar for next year, which will reveal when MPs are due to return to Canberra following their long summer break.

The Prime Minister for one will not likely be in any great rush for Parliament to come back, as he’s signalled his long-awaited marriage to partner Jodie Haydon will occur “over summer” – a venue and date are yet to be revealed publicly.