The winter break for the politicians with all the glorious distractions, the overseas trips, holidays in the north and the Olympics, is about to end and the spring offensive is upon us.

The Coalition's aim is to find new ways to belt the Gillard Government on the well worn issues, keeping its foot on a grounded opponent.

Labor, on the other hand, is trying to at least get to its knees by tackling some of the key issues head on and ever so slowly lift its poll ratings from dismal to not so bad.

The straw in the wind for the Government is that some of the heat has gone out of the issues that crippled it during the autumn session. For example, the Peter Slipper dramatics will be harder to revive now that questions have been raised about James Ashby's motives and tactics. That too, will have a knock-on effect in terms of how hard the Opposition can go on the Craig Thomson matter.

The asylum seekers issue, while always a negative for the Government, is not as toxic as it once was because developments have shamed all sides of politics.

The carbon tax issue too, is not quite what it once was. Research shows that it has not so far led to across the board increases in prices; and as a consequence many people are not as troubled by it as they might have been.

All that on the face of it has to help an embattled Prime Minister. It has to. If it doesn't, then that inevitably leads discussion to the one outstanding negative, leadership.

With the Government in better shape on the key issues, its polling has to improve to some degree. If it doesn't, then Caucus will know for certain that the biggest issue of them all - the biggest impediment to a modest recovery - is Julia Gillard herself.

It is of course in the interests of Rudd supporters to make it as difficult for the Prime Minister as they can. That has in the past meant manipulating the media to run negative stories on the eve of Newspolls.

That didn't happen in the run up to the last one when the ALP gained a 5 per cent boost in its primary vote. The camp went quiet during the winter break, no doubt resting up for their own spring offensive.

As a result - with little talk of Kevin Rudd - the Government was able to get some conversations started, with seemingly positive results.

The setting of the trials for the disability insurance scheme undoubtedly fed into the last poll. That was given special political momentum because the premiers so spectacularly came on board only after a public thrashing.

Then Treasurer Wayne Swan went down an unconventional route using Bruce Springsteen to draw attention to inequality in society, and along the way risking ridicule from those Laurie Oakes described as "snobby" journalists. Again, although the Olympics had started, he got a conversation started.

And finally, the Prime Minister came back from holidays for the "power play" that attempted to deflect some of the blame from the Federal Government for soaring electricity prices.

The manoeuvre exposed the Prime Minister to charges of hypocrisy, but nevertheless the key point did cut through: that in the last four years, without a carbon tax, electricity prices went up by 48 per cent - and with no compensation.

The tactic will give Gillard some cover as Abbott hones in on the key carbon tax vulnerability in the weeks ahead. None of this would have been as effective had it not been for the hiatus in the Rudd story.

As good for morale as the 5 per cent boost in the primary vote was for the ALP, just 1 per cent of that came from the Coalition. Most of the rest came from "others," those who have parked their vote out of disenchantment with both sides of politics. The Government needs to make significant inroads into the Coalition vote to boost its two-party preferred position.

However, the latest poll might also point to the beginning of a slow recovery in Labor's worst state, Queensland.

The poll coincided with a 9 per cent slump in Premier Cambell Newman's ratings in a ReachTEL poll taken on August 6. There are signs that the Queensland Premier's slash and burn approach to the public service is causing some disquiet in the electorate.

If that was to continue, Labor could run a campaign warning that an Abbott government would deliver more of the same. The test will come when the campaign itself rolls around and we see how anxious the Coalition is to team Abbott with Newman.

The spring session starting Tuesday will disclose how well Labor has used the winter break to weather proof itself against the big negatives; and what the Coalition still has left in terms of strike power.

And it will also reveal whether the sting has gone out of the Rudd campaign.

We will know soon enough.

The last days of the spring session, especially the last before an election, is not known as the "killing season" for nothing. It is traditionally the time when political parties, if they need to, tidy up the leadership before the Christmas break.

Winter Break Is Over, Get Set For The Killing Season