The spread of questions being asked to Labor ministers by their own side, known as a Dorothy Dixer question, is more even-handed than the spread of who is asking questions for the opposition. Analysing which ministers are being questioned reveals a government’s policy and political priorities.

For Labor, Resources Minister Madeleine King has had just three Dorothy Dixers questions from her own side, the fewest of any cabinet minister – though the opposition has grilled her over ballooning electricity and gas prices – while Communications Minister Michelle Rowland has had the second-fewest number of questions to a cabinet minister, with just six.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers have had by far the most Dorothy Dixers, which is to be expected. Cabinet ministers Tony Burke, Chris Bowen and Mark Dreyfus, who have respectively implemented Labor’s industrial relations, climate change and National Anti-Corruption Commission policies, are the next most-quizzed ministers.

Junior ministers Anne Aly and Anika Wells have answered more questions from their own backbench than many cabinet ministers, which reflects the fact their policy responsibilities of childcare and aged care respectively have been government priorities – also suggesting their political stars are on the rise.

An analysis of which government and opposition MPs are asking questions when parliament sits also reveals that on the Labor side, four first-term backbenchers in seats that have a margin of six per cent or less have been in the parliamentary spotlight most frequently and asking questions.

The strategy of putting those four MPs – Gordon Reid and Sally Sitou in NSW, Marion Scrymgour in the Northern Territory and Louise Miller-Frost in South Australia – is a tried and tested one and is designed to raise the profile of MPs expected to face a tough fight to hang on to their seats at the next election.

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.