The unspeakable trauma of the MH17 disaster has banished domestic politics from the front pages. There is still plenty of #auspol to talk about, of course (argh, Joe Hockey, Greg Combet, what were you thinking?!), but all of that has paled into the background.

What we have had instead is a Prime Minister in crisis mode: cancelling his travel plans and bunkering down in Canberra, where he has held daily national security committee meetings and taken naps in his office while waiting for calls from European leaders in the wee hours.

Abbott has acted swiftly, doggedly and defiantly since news of the MH17 downing broke just over a week ago. He has not been afraid to get angry at Russia and has won praise for his firm stance on how the international community should respond. Together with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, the Coalition is basking in the restrained glow of Australia’s successful push for that United Nations Security Council resolution.

And throughout, Abbott has always talked of the victims and their families as his first priority. He has not crowed about what the government is up to (as you would totally expect).

In short, Abbott has had his first good week for months and months. But has it really been a different Prime Minister that has graced our screens? In some ways, Abbott’s performance has been reminiscent of his standard mode of operation. And in particular, of the mode that was tried, tested and practised with a fine art in opposition.

He has had three simple points that he has been driving home in his press conferences: to have an independent investigation, secure the crash site and bring the victims back home. (The content is different, but the rhythm bears a striking resemblance to ''stop the boats, repeal the carbon tax and end the waste''.)

On Tuesday, the message was further refined as ''Operation Bring Them Home'' – a phrase that Abbott has since used liberally in his media appearances. It is understood the name developed in the Prime Minister’s office this week as the natural choice (I have been assured there was no market testing).

Just as he talked of nothing but the carbon tax in the lead-up to the election, Abbott is now talking of nothing but MH17. He is doing daily press conferences (like he did in opposition) but he has not been taking questions on other matters – so the message has not wavered. On Monday, when a journalist began to ask a question about the carbon tax (and presumably the fact that the polls are still awful for the Coalition in the wake of the repeal), Abbott dismissed it with a ''Look, with respect, not yet – not yet.''

It has been difficult for Abbott to look like a prime minister recently. So many things have not been going his way. With the cluster snafus of the carbon tax delayed repeal, the mining tax non-repeal and large chunks of the budget in a state of objective disarray, it has been nigh-on impossible for him to sail through all leader-like.

But with the removal of the local politics from his daily routine, Abbott has had the space to look and act prime ministerial. Indeed, with Labor offering bipartisan support and Clive Palmer temporarily out of the picture, no one has challenged or undermined him. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to have largely co-operated with Abbott’s plans.

And while Abbott has been working long hours and is looking a bit red in the eyes (which is what you would expect at a time like this), he also thrives on tasks that require superhuman energy. Remember him in the lead-up to the 2010 election and his non-stop final 24 hours of campaigning?

This is not to suggest that Abbott would have wished for a week such as this. Or anything remotely like it. Or that he is enjoying the crisis (he is the one talking directly to victims’ families). But this week has given him an opportunity to play to his strengths and to offer up another version of himself.

Those close to Abbott have observed that as a result of MH17, Abbott has been seen to take control of matters and is not overthinking things. As one person also noted, ''when a national crisis happens you see the leader, you don’t hear [criticism] about him''.

In times of disaster, the community is prepared to extend a good dose of goodwill to its leaders, but this will peter out when national life resumes its normal agenda.

The question is, will Abbott’s handling of MH17 have reset the scene he returns to?

Judith Ireland is a Fairfax Media journalist.