LAST year was a shocker for the Gillard Government.

It held its slim majority with the help of independents, but was behind in the polls by laughable distances most of the year.

And it handled several rural issues poorly.

The Clean Energy Bill, Murray-Darling Basin Plan and live export issues are prime examples.

The good news for the Government is that things are likely to improve in 2012.

Its effective majority increased when it persuaded then-Liberal Peter Slipper to become Speaker, replacing Labor's Harry Jenkins.

This puts the Government on surer footing, snuffs out the Coalition's hopes of forcing an election by knocking off a Labor MP and greatly increases the public's perception that the Government is now stable.

The noise against the Murray-Darling Basin Plan will probably subside once the Opposition admits it is going to support it, infrastructure improvements begin, farmers who wish to sell their water do so and the public realises half the buybacks have already been completed.

The hit the average Australian takes from the Clean Energy legislation will fall short of what Opposition Leader Tony Abbott claims, because he has overblown his fear campaign.

Farmers will pay extra, no doubt. But the Government knows most farmers vote for the Coalition anyway.

Anger at the live export suspension was justified, but this year it will be seen as a thing of the past by most voters not directly affected.

The rural issues the Government will be tested on are dumping, labelling, coal seam gas, exports, imports and quarantine.

The dumping moves seem good, but short of ideal.

The Government's response to the 2011 labelling review was pitiful in terms of fixing country-of-origin labelling or helping farmers.

The CSG issue will not hurt the Government more than it already has - unless an aquifer is polluted.

But if one of the CSG projects - approved seemingly against departmental advice - goes bad, Environment Minister Tony Burke will find himself in the firing line.