Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has told 7.30 parliament will sit in February, to consider remaining bills on the government's agenda, pushing back against the notion of an early 2025 election.

That election will be set against the backdrop of the continuing cost of living crisis but Mr Albanese was keen to counter Opposition leader Peter Dutton's suggestion that Australians should ask themselves if they are better off now than they were three years ago.

Mr Dutton has attacked the government for what he termed their "undisciplined spending" and suggested they were responsible for Australians continuing to struggle with a cost of living crisis.

Faced with that question and the knowledge it will be a major Coalition campaign message in the 2025 election, Mr Albanese had a simple message for the Australian public.

"We've implemented reforms to make a difference, whether it's in housing and rental assistance, whether it's childcare support, cheaper medicines, energy bill relief, tax cuts for every taxpayer, fixing up single parenting payment.

"We understand that there is more to do."

Asked what he would say to any members of the public who agreed with Mr Dutton, the prime minister took aim at the Coalition and their opposition to the government's cost of living relief.

"You would have been far worse off had Peter Dutton got his way and stopped you getting a tax cut and stopped you getting the cost of living relief that we've put in place," Mr Albanese told 7.30.

"We have put in place a range of measures, and Peter Dutton has opposed to every one of them.

Are measures working?

Energy rebates from federal and state governments have been a driver in keeping inflation down at 2.1 per cent in the year to October.

Despite the implementation of cost of living measures by the Albanese government, Australians are still struggling.

The cost of housing remains high across capital cities as does the cost of food and alcohol.

A peak industry body report released exclusively to 7.30 on Tuesday night found that one fifth of Australian renters are living in poverty as the dual housing and cost of living crises continue.

Some of those who are particularly struggling are young Australians. 

Mr Albanese says he knows with the election looming Labor has to meet them where they are.

"We have to engage on issues of which they're concerned, such as student debt and affordable housing, as well as ... acting on climate change," he said.

"We have to engage through mediums which they listen to or watch or engage with. We have to be prepared to go to them than rather than expect them to come to us."

Asked whether Mr Dutton is more in tune with the Australian people than he is, Mr Albanese conceded the election will be hotly contested.

"Elections are always contestable" he told 7.30.

"I take nothing for granted, but each and every day, we have worked to make a positive difference for Australia, and at the next election, we will be talking about Australia's future and not going backwards. 

Albanese's environmental denial

On a day where the government rammed through several bills —  one that didn't pass was the government's cornerstone environmental reform.

WA Premier Roger Cook said he spoke to the prime minister on Tuesday and was "very pleased to receive assurances" that the reforms had been put on ice.

Mr Cook told media conversations he had had at the "highest level" had resulted in the legislation being shelved.

"I have had conversations at the highest level and been assured the nature positive laws won't progress this week," Mr Cook said on Wednesday.

Mr Albanese had it put to him on 7.30 that he killed those reforms to protect seats in Western Australia.

It was a charge the PM denied.

"That's not right," Mr Albanese told 7.30.

"The legislation remains stuck in the Senate. We didn't have a majority for it."

The prime minister said he was the negotiator who could not get the bill across the line and refused to divulge many details of his conversation with Mr Cook, other than to say they spoke about his upcoming trip to Western Australia.

"I informed him that we didn't have the numbers to get the bill through," Mr Albanese said before adding that the bill had not been abandoned.

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