Australian politics: the craziest days in Canberra this decade
From Kevin Rudd’s knifing to Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt and the ‘bonk ban’, politics served up some jaw dropping news events this past decade. These are the days when Canberra went crazy.
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All decades have their days when Australian politics gets rocked to its foundations, but in the 2010s we had more than a dozen.
These were the times when Aussies tuned into what was happening in Canberra with disbelief, anger and a profound sense of shock.
JUNE 24, 2010: RUDD KNIFED
The decade’s first big day of drama would ultimately be its strongest, challenging the dismissal of Gough Whitlam in 1975 for sheer shock value. Who can forget the sight of Kevin Rudd, elected in a landslide in November 2007, struggling with his composure (and briefly losing it) as he spoke to the media following his dumping at the hands of his Labor Caucus colleagues? The day ended with Australia getting its first ever female prime minister, but the knifing of a first-term leader would reverberate throughout the rest of the 2010s in ways that few could have anticipated.
Then MP Maxine McKew recorded her emotions on the day in her memoir Tales From The Political Trenches. “The photos of the country’s first female Prime Minister standing beside Governor-General Quentin Bryce on the steps of Government House suggested a new era of girl power and a fresh beginning,” she wrote. “But it was a deceptive image. Those who’d orchestrated this moment never considered that there might be any kind of backlash against this lightning-fast grab for power.”
AUGUST 21, 2010: KNIFE-EDGE ELECTION
Labor got its first true inkling of the true cost of knifing a first-time prime minister, the night of the 2010 election, losing 11 seats. For the first time in living memory, the country went to bed on election night not knowing who would be able to form government.
According to Dr Paul Williams, lecturer in politics and journalism at Griffith University, Labor would have done better had it stuck with Rudd.
“Rudd was still popular, and would have won in 2010, and may even have won majority government,” said. “Labor really underestimated the level of voter anger.”
SEPTEMBER 8, 2010: OAKESHOTT’S 15+ MINUTES
Crossbench MP Rob Oakeshott announced his intention to support a Gillard minority government 17 days after the election, but only after 16 minutes and 50 seconds of preamble to a speech explaining his whys and wherefores. Political commentators likened it to a bout of root canal – while others would probably say the agony was only beginning. Gillard was sworn in on September 14.
FEBRUARY 27, 2012 – RUDD CHALLENGES, LOSES
Labor was plunged back into crisis mode after Rudd resigned as Foreign Minister, citing a lack of confidence in his tenure from Prime Minister Gillard, and challenged her for the leadership. Both contenders worked the optics of the situation by marching into the caucus room surrounded by supporters, but in the end it was a convincing win for Gillard, who trounced Rudd 71 votes to 31.
By the end of the day Labor right powerbroker and Senator Mark Arbib would resign, acknowledging that he had to take some responsibility for the instability around party leadership.
“This issue, the leadership question, is now determined,” Gillard would tell the press after her victory. History would determine otherwise.
OCTOBER 9, 2012 – GILLARD’S BIG SPEECH
Some said she was playing the gender card. Others said it was her finest moment. YouTube search results show it’s certainly her most watched.
After months of sexist baiting from various quarters, Gillard had clearly had a gutful when she gave it to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in her impassioned but articulate “misogyny” speech, which made news throughout the western world.
MARCH 21, 2013 – RUDD DOESN’T CHALLENGE
With Labor under incredible pressure in the polls, former leader Simon Crean “helpfully” called for a leadership spill, volunteering himself as a deputy to Rudd.
All eyes were on Rudd throughout the day, who finally revealed he would not be putting himself forward as a candidate. It was a let-down for drama lovers, but the fallout from the non-challenge was hefty, with a number of high-profile Labor ministers resigning.
JUNE 26, 2013 – RUDD CHALLENGES, WINS
In May 1989, John Howard famously declared his hopes of ever leading the Liberals again was like “Lazarus with a triple bypass” – and yet he did come back, and went on to become our second-longest-serving prime minister. If that was Lazarus-like, Kevin Rudd’s resurrection as Labor leader three years after his political crucifixion was nothing short of Jesus-esque.
Fed up with the constant speculation about her leadership, Gillard called for a fresh ballot, insisting it be a “winner take all”, with the loser resigning. The party room voted 57-45 in Rudd’s favour, and the unthinkable became business-as-usual for Australian politics.
SEPTEMBER 7, 2013 – ABBOTT TRIUMPHANT
The electorate gave Labor an absolute hiding at the 2013 election after the leadership games that had dominated the preceding three years.
“Rudd’s return probably did save Labor 20 seats, but defeat was always inevitable,” said Dr Paul Williams.
In his victory speech, Mr Abbott promised “a government of no surprises and no excuses”, and then proceeded to deliver plenty, not the least of which was offering Prince Philip an Australian knighthood.
FEBRUARY 9, 2015 – TURNBULL DOESN’T CHALLENGE
Reminiscent of the moment in March 2013 when Labor had all the makings for a leadership challenge, except for an actual challenger, the Liberals held a party room meeting to vote on a leadership spill motion just 17 months after winning government. The motion went down 61 votes to 39 – a result that Abbott called a “near-death experience”.
In a subsequent press conference he said the leadership crisis was over, and that he had “listened, learned and changed”. He also expressed some doubt over the tough 2014 Budget, saying it was “too bold and too ambitious”. (The photo of Joe Hockey and Mathias Cormann smoking fat stogies the morning after such an austere Budget probably didn’t help.)
SEPTEMBER 14, 2015 – TURNBULL CHALLENGES, WINS
“We are not like the Labor Party,” Tony Abbott said repeatedly as he faced pressure over his leadership, but on September 14, 2015, the Liberals decided that, actually, they sort of were. Abbott had served not quite two years when he was defeated by Turnbull in a 54-44 vote,
“Tony Abbott became a very partisan prime minister,” explains Dr Paul Williams.
“He was an excellent opposition leader but he kept using opposition tactics.”
In a press conference after losing the leadership, Mr Abbott promised: “There will be no wrecking, no undermining, and no sniping. I’ve never leaked or backgrounded against anyone. And I certainly won’t start now.”
JULY 2, 2016 – ANOTHER KNIFE-EDGE ELECTION
What did any of us do to deserve the 2016 double dissolution election? Over eight gruelling weeks – unprecedented in modern times – Malcolm Turnbull and Labor leader Bill Shorten traipsed around the countryside trawling for votes, and on election night we still didn’t end up with a clear winner.
More than a week later, the Liberals were able to claim a one-seat majority – but Turnbull’s leadership looked pretty terminal from day one.
AUGUST 17, 2017 – PAULINE HANSON’S BURQA STUNT
One Nation continued to provide plenty of political drama throughout the decade – remember Senator Brian Burston leaving bloodied marks on Pauline Hanson’s office door? – but it was Hanson’s own piece of political theatre that proved the most jawdropping.
The One Nation leader claimed she wore the burqa into parliament to make a point about national security and social cohesion.
The act did create a rare moment of political cohesion, however, when Labor Seantors gave Attorney-General George Brandis a standing ovation for calling her out for an “appalling” and “disgraceful” stunt that mocked the Muslim community.
FEBRUARY 23, 2018 – BARNABY JOYCE RESIGNS AS DEPUTY PM
Long considered one of Australia’s most colourful politicians, Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce drew on an altogether richer palette in 2017 and 2018.
Forced to recontest his seat in a by-election after he became ensnared in the dual citizenship scandal that swept parliament, Joyce was then forced to confront rumours that he had left his wife and family for a staffer who was pregnant with his baby.
Joyce resigned as Nationals leader while Turnbull implemented a “bonk ban” for MPs and their staff.
AUGUST 21, 2018 – DUTTON CHALLENGES, LOSES
Facing dismal poll numbers and persistent leadership challenge rumours, Turnbull called a snap spill of positions, eventually defeating frontbencher Peter Dutton in a 48-35 vote.
In her book Plots and Prayers, Nikki Sava would quote Victorian Senator James Patterson, who described Dutton’s campaign for the leadership as “shambolic” and “completely half-arsed”. That may be so, but it also left Turnbull mortally wounded.
AUGUST 24, 2018 – MORRISON CHALLENGES, WINS
“This is my leader, and I’m ambitious for him!” then Treasurer Scott Morrison exclaimed during an August 22 press conference, putting a collegiate arm around Turnbull’s back.
Two days later, Turnbull would be gone and Morrison would emerge the victor from a three-way leadership contest against Dutton and Julie Bishop.
MAY 18, 2019 – MORRISON WINS UNWINNABLE ELECTION
Timing his run to perfection, Morrison pulled off an election victory that no poll had predicted, leaving Labor in dumbfounded disarray.
With many senior Liberals jumping ship prior to the election, Morrison campaigned solidly and mainly solo, winning over voters with his “daggy dad” persona and small-target policies.
“I have always believed in miracles,” Morrison told his jubilant supporters on election night. After a decade of shocks, surprises and the most unlikely events transpiring, it’s fair to say most watchers of Australian politics do too.