No drama as MPs begin year at church

What a difference a year makes.

When MPs gathered in 2015 for the traditional church service to mark the start of the parliamentary year Tony Abbott's leadership was on the line.

Shortly after attending the service at the Canberra Baptist Church, the then prime minister survived what he described as a "very chastening" threat to his leadership.

"We've got to get on with being the government we were elected to be," he told reporters leaving the service alongside wife Margie, before a special Liberal partyroom meeting.

A year on and Mr Abbott was nowhere to be seen as MPs gathered at the Wesley Uniting Church, just down the hill from Parliament House, on Tuesday.

Instead his successor Malcolm Turnbull strode in with wife Lucy, as did Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and Chloe.

The ecumenical service began with a rendition of the national anthem, followed by a greeting from Liberal MP Louise Markus.

Mr Turnbull delivered an upbeat reading from Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

From Mr Shorten, a reading from Matthew: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened".

The prime minister thanked members of the various denominations as he left the church.

But he was tight-lipped about leaked government talking points for coalition MPs while getting into his Comcar for the ride up to Parliament House.

Mr Shorten turned his sights to the challenge ahead in the election year.

"This year for me and for the Labor Party I'm privileged to lead, we are squarely focused on the future for Australian families," he told reporters.

"It's all about jobs, education, health care, stopping a rotten 15 per cent GST and making sure we have real action on climate change."

And with that it was back to business.