A week of parliamentary sittings will begin on Monday with Nationals MPs and senators choosing a new leader following Barnaby Joyce's resignation.
The scandal over the Nationals leader was set to dominate four days of House of Representatives sittings and Senate estimates hearings.
But Mr Joyce's resignation on Friday will provide something of a circuit-breaker for Malcolm Turnbull, as he returns from a trip to Washington.
The Nationals party room will meet at 8am AEDT on Monday to determine who will replace Mr Joyce and become deputy prime minister, with their choice of ministerial portfolio.
The contest appears to be coming down to two candidates, ministers Michael McCormack and David Gillespie.
Six hours later, the new leader will face his first question time test, with Labor expected to zero in on the secrecy behind the coalition agreement - a private letter exchanged between the Nationals and Liberals leaders which forms the basis of how they work together.
The federal opposition is still also interested in whether Mr Joyce breached any ministerial standards, or expenses guidelines, over his affair with former staffer Vikki Campion, who is due to have his baby in April.
Labor will also exploit the battle between Tony Abbott and his former cabinet colleagues.
The former prime minister has used the parliamentary break to criticise ministers over their support for higher migration, and says the Joyce affair has been poorly managed "at the most senior levels of government".
On Tuesday, the lower house will debate the government's plans to make waiting times longer for migrants who want welfare, while on Thursday revenge porn laws will be on the agenda.
Senate estimates hearings will probe ministers and senior officials from government agencies and departments.
Key issues to be explored will be the cost of health care, defence exports, offshore detention, the rollout of the new Home Affairs portfolio and controversial changes to the Murray Darling Basin Plan.
