Malcolm Turnbull will press ahead with changes to childcare, benefiting around one million Australians, when parliament resumes next week.
The prime minister will talk about the changes, which are being paid for by an overhaul of family tax benefits, when he lays out his plans for the year in a speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday.
Labor has criticised the plan as unfairly cutting family payments to single-income families while doing nothing to take pressure off rising childcare costs.
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However Mr Turnbull, who has been negotiating with Senate crossbenchers to pass the bill, says it will ensure a strong safety net while delivering more affordable, flexible and available childcare.
Homing in on another hip-pocket issue, the prime minister will commit the government to delivering cheaper energy.
"This isn't an abstract issue. Higher electricity prices mean more pressure on household budgets and businesses," he will say.
"That's why energy will be a defining debate in this parliament. We're determined to help families and businesses by making electricity affordable and reliable - Labor's policies mean higher power prices and energy insecurity."
Setting out an overall political theme for the year, the prime minister will say his government stands for "opportunity and security".
"The opportunity to get ahead and to get back on your feet when times are tough, built on a foundation of economic and national security."
A new deal on school funding expected to be signed with the states this year would be aimed at improving student outcomes, he says.
"Over the last decade commonwealth school funding increased by nearly 50 per cent in real terms, but student outcomes actually declined - how can it be that funding is increasing but results are going backwards?
"Our focus must be, at all times, on improving outcomes."
