(Transcript from World News Australia)
Mr Abbott's flagship policies face a difficult passage despite his decisive victory in the federal election, with Labor and Greens rejecting his claim to a mandate and the Senate preparing to challenge him at every turn.
When Governor-General Quentin Bryce opens the 44th parliament, the first item of legislative business will be laws to abolish the carbon tax.
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But until mid-2014, the Senate will remain under the control of Labor and the Greens who say they intend to block its passage in the Senate.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has left open the option of a double dissolution election if his plan is defeated in the upper house although in reality it is unlikely he would want to return to the polls so soon.
Mr Abbott favours a Direct Action climate plan that involves paying companies to increase their energy efficiency, and funding for schemes to replenish soil carbons and plant 20 million trees.
Climate Change Minister Greg Hunt says Labor must agree to repeal the tax.
"The only thing standing between Australians and lower electricity prices is the leader of the opposition and the ALP so the message to Mr Shorten is next week he'll have a chance to take the pressure off Australian families by stepping aside, by moving out of the way and by letting the government repeal the carbon tax."
Greens Leader Christine Milne says the Greens will move for a Senate inquiry into the government's Direct Action climate policy.
Senator Milne says a full Senate inquiry will expose why Mr Abbott's policy won't reduce Australia's carbon pollution and why it should not pass.
"His plan is the plan you are having when you don't want to take any action on global warming."
"We have reports out from the OECD and from the United nations environment program, just in the last few days, both of them saying that market-based mechanisms and taxes are far more economically efficient and effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions."
And the Coalition's plan to scrap dozens of taxes is also expected to come under fire.
Labor says it will block government plans to scrap a superannuation contribution scheme designed to benefit low-income earners.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen says the move is unfair and Labor plans to block it in the upper house with the support of the Greens.
"Well we'll certainly be voting against that measure and we'd be calling on other members and senators to do so as well. People on low and middle income earners actually receive no concessions, no tax concessions, for saving for their retirement when people on high incomes receive very substantial concessions. Now we think that's fundamentally wrong. We fixed that when we were in office."
The Coalition also faces tensions over Mr Abbott's generous Paid Parental Leave scheme which is expected to be introduced before Christmas.
If Mr Abbott wants his parental leave scheme to pass through Parliament he'll have to do a deal with the Greens and also lower the cap from 150-thousand dollars.
Christine Milne says she'll agree to a parental leave scheme, but only if it's the Greens' proposed plan.
"Tony Abbott's scheme is way too generous in that it makes it quite inequitable. What he's refused to acknowledge is that not only is it a levy on big business but it will require a major taxpayer component and that's why the Greens have set the cap at $100,000, as a salary cap, because that captures 90 per cent of women in the workforce."
Same-sex marriage is also likely to be highlighted during the first month of parliamentary sittings.
The High Court is expected to rule early in December on the Commonwealth's challenge to the ACT's same-sex marriage law.
If the High Court finds in favour of the ACT, it would present a problem for Tony Abbott, who says the area is a Commonwealth responsibility.
"It is pretty clear under our constitution that it is the Commonwealth which has responsibility for the rules regarding marriage. We think it's important that there be a uniform approach to marriage throughout the Commonwealth and that's what we are going to do our best to ensure."
Also a ruling in favour of the ACT is sure to see the Greens immediately lodge a private member's bill to reintroduce same-sex marriage laws into federal parliament.
However, it is also likely the government would move to block those opportunities.
Under rules put in place for the hung parliament during the past three years, individual MPs were given unprecedented opportunity to set the agenda, raise motions, debate issues and bring forward their own legislation.
The Coalition has not guaranteed the same rules will remain in place under its majority government.
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