As Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the federal election on Thursday, Australians farewelled the 45th parliament and one of the most chaotic, and at times, strangest chapters in political history.
Here are some of the most memorable moments.
Michaelia Cash uses whiteboard to shield herself from media. Source: SBS News
When Michaelia Cash hid behind a whiteboard
The beleaguered jobs minister had been under pressure to resign from the opposition after using a Senate estimates hearing to apparently accuse female members of Labor leader Bill Shorten’s office of inappropriate conduct.
As she was walking into another hearing, from the waiting media pack on the other side.
When Scott Morrison tried his hand at a Fatman Scoop song
Mr Morrison posted a video on social media of him at Question Time with colleagues behind him raising their hands in unison. : US rapper Fatman Scoop’s sexually charged Be Faithful.
The lyrics to the song glorify casual sex and include a slew of expletives. It was later taken down with Mr Morrison apologising for the gaffe.
But no one expected the rapper himself to come out in a video telling Mr Morrison all was ok and that it was just a “fun party song that has no negativity or harm”. And neither did - to which the Mr Morrison replied he was keen on.
When Malcolm Turnbull took on Donald Trump - and kinda won
It was the phone call that had everyone either giggling or in shock. Then-prime minister Malcolm Turnbull had been trying to convince the new US President of honouring an Obama era deal to let refugees detained on Manus Island and Nauru resettle in the US, at a time when Mr Trump was concerned about his image and taking in more immigrants.
In an , Mr Trump described Mr Turnbull as “worse than I am”, decrying the deal as “ridiculous", "rotten" and "stupid", before reportedly hanging up on Mr Turnbull.
The saga led to criticism of the way the . But the Trump administration went on to honour the deal.
