Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and other members of parliament gathered on Monday for a Last Post Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial marking the first sitting of the new government.

Among the fresh faces of newly elected MPs and other dignitaries in attendance was Liberal party royalty.

Former prime minister John Howard emerged from the crowd, exchanging a handshake with Mr Albanese before standing front and centre for the ceremony, several spots away from current Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

In an address to those gathered, Prime Minister Albanese spoke of silence and hope for the future ahead of his first parliamentary sitting as leader of the country.

"Each time we honour our fallen with silence, it is a silence that also contains within it the hope that humanity has at last learnt its lesson," he said.

"The hope that this will never happen again. Hope, it must be said, is playing a long game. And hope may yet win out.

" ... It is a silence I hope that our courageous, suffering friends in Ukraine will also soon know."

Opposition Leader Dutton's speech hit a different note - he told the stories of two "ordinary Australians who did the remarkable" who had died in war.

"As we confront conflict in Eastern Europe, and coercion in the Indo Pacific, we must come together as a nation. We must have confidence in our convictions and ourselves," Mr Dutton said.

"We must press forward to energise commitment and action to protect sovereignty and self determination, war and liberty, peace and prosperity. The Australian War Memorial is a reminder that it can be done, that the ordinary can be extraordinary."

As a bugler played the Last Post and the first two notes rang throughout the cavernous Memorial Hall, the harrowing sound provided a solemn reminder of what has come before, what Ukraine now faces and what may yet develop.

The following minute of silence hung heavy. Cockatoos squawked overhead as they perched on the roof of the iconic building.

The ceremony comes as the Labor government plans to hit the ground running with tougher action on climate change.

However, Prime Minister Albanese faces challenges in wrangling the crossbench and an overreliance on the Greens as the Labor party aims to push through its agenda.

Big ticket bills expected to be tabled this week include a climate bill to legislate a 43 per cent reduction in carbon emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050, while also requiring the relevant minister to report annually to parliament on Australia's progress.

While the establishment of a federal anti-corruption commission is not expected to be introduced until later this year, the Labor government will be busy negotiating over the coming weeks.

Labor will also introduce legislation for the cancelling of the cashless welfare card, as well as ten days of domestic and family violence leave and the creation of Jobs and Skills Australia.