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.
Malcolm Turnbull getting rolled over climate policy - again
In a case of history repeating itself, Australians watched on bemused as yet .
- over climate policy. The saga left the Liberal Party reeling and fractured with Mr Turnbull accusing conservatives within his party of “trying to bring down the government” through an “insurgency”.
Liberal MP Julia Banks later quit the party, saying . And some experienced Liberals later quit parliament altogether, including Christopher Pyne and Julie Bishop.
Australia had its fifth prime minister in five years in leadership spill victor Scott Morrison, who to this day faces taunting questions from Labor about why the leadership change even occurred.
When Scott Morrison brought a lump of coal into Question Time
“Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared,” the then-Treasurer taunted the opposition, brandishing a lacquered piece of coal at the despatch box.
“It won’t hurt you. It’s coal.”
It was an attempt to but it also showed how members of the Coalition remained loyal to coal-fired power at a time when some energy retailers were even saying they’d be moving away from fossil fuels.
اسکات موریسن با تکهای از زغال سنگ در جلسۀ پرسش و پاسخ پارلمان Source: AAP
There was also the time former prime minister Tony Abbott told an audience overseas that, “climate change is probably doing good” and comparing action on climate change to ‘killing goats to appease volcano gods’.
Now, as he faces a challenge for his seat of Warringah from an Independent candidate calling for climate change action, Mr Abbott has also backflipped on his calls for Australia to pull out of the Paris agreement.
All the bizarre things One Nation did
When Pauline Hanson , two of her colleagues sitting behind her couldn’t contain their delight.
Brian Burston clapped and laughed, as did Malcolm Roberts. The far-right politician claimed she was making a point about security in the chamber, but the move was .
One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson wearing a burqa during Senate Question Time. Source: AAP
Senator Burston would later fall out with the party over unrelated reasons, leading to one of the most bizarre episodes in the halls of parliament: when he accused his former leader of coming on to him, , before smearing blood on Senator Hanson’s office door.
But the strangest moment was left for his mea culpa, when he told the Senate: “Whilst I do not recall the incident of blood on the door, I now have come to the conclusion that it was myself and I sincerely apologise for that action.”
