But as Tony Abbott demonstrated yesterday, they are also a chance for a talking to.

With some opposition MPs ''going through a phase'' on foreign investment policy, Abbott told his colleagues to behave.

''We have to show that we're the adults in the room,'' Mr Abbott said.

''It's perfectly OK for people to have different views. The challenge is how we handle those [views].''

Yesterday in question time, no one seemed particularly keen to apply the wisdom of Tony.

The Opposition Leader himself began by asking Wayne Swan why the government was operating a ''water taxi'' service for people smugglers. The acting Prime Minister made reference to ''operational reasons'' before proclaiming that Abbott wanted to ''go the biff'' on boats.

''He wants to go the biff all the time!'' Swan said, prompting Christopher Pyne to cut in.

''The Treasurer is clearly being offensive,'' Pyne informed Anna Burke.

Burke let the comment stand, before welcoming the Swiss Ambassador to the public galleries and making a joke about neutrality.

The Deputy Speaker was in a more punitive state of mind during the next question: a Dixer to Swan about keeping the economy strong.

According to the acting Prime Minister, Australia was getting a ''sneak preview'' of what Abbott would do to health and education via Campbell Newman's budget offerings in Queensland. Observing that Newman was a ''bully,'' Swan added that everyone knew Abbott was a ''thug''.

The Coalition made sounds to indicate that severe offence was being taken and Swan was commanded to withdraw the remark.

Question time trundled on with the government asking itself indignant questions about Queensland job cuts and the Coalition raising a sceptical eyebrow over the 2012-13 surplus.

Predictable, that is, until one Labor MP missed their cue, giving a highly unusual TWO QUESTIONS IN A ROW to the opposition. (While the questions are ''without notice'' and therefore totally spontaneous, The Canberra Times understands that it was Michael Danby of Melbourne Ports who wasn't paying attention.)

Liberal MP Andrew Southcott seized the two-for-one opportunity to grill Swan about the carbon tax. As proceedings squealed towards a close, Joe Hockey also took issue with the government's stance on jobs - in particular, its plan to cut gigs in Canberra.

''You hypocrite!'' Hockey yelled at Swan, with the volume turned to max.

But the shadow treasurer was asked to withdraw the heinous H-word and he duly obliged.

It was yet another victory for the adults in the room.