The following are facts. It's seven days until Christmas. Most politicians  are on holidays. After working his guts out as Opposition Leader for six years, Bill Shorten will retire at the next election. He could be jetting off on holiday to relax by the beach. Instead he spent yesterday in Northern Tasmania, spruiking the benefits of the NDIS.

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You may, or may not, think the recent changes to the scheme compromise its original intent. But if you do think Labor's sold out, don't blame Shorten.

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He believes in the NDIS. He also thinks the current deal is the best balance that can be achieved between properly supporting People with Disability and balancing the budget. This is the key message he'll be pushing every day between now and the election.

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Labor will struggle to win. Votes in the swing seats of northern Tasmania will be particularly vital, and that explains both why Shorten is campaigning there and the string of government press releases in the Briefs section below. It also sets the scene for the year ahead.