
When Malcolm Turnbull visited the Governor-General on May 8 and locked in a July 2 election, we all thought it was flirting with danger.
"An eight-week campaign? A full three weeks longer than usual? The country will descend into madness."
Well, eight weeks turned into nine, with a full eight days passing between when the polls closed and the announcement from Bill Shorten and Malcolm Turnbull that the Coalition would indeed form Government.
Take a breath to congratulate yourselves for making it. Here were some of the wildest, craziest, funniest moments from this wild, crazy, funny campaign.
When Bill Shorten got the biggest smooch in Adelaide (full story):
Bill Shorten receives a "proper kiss" from Margo during a street walk in Adelaide https://t.co/Tl4ddKCr3o
— ellinghausen (@ellinghausen) May 17, 2016
When Peter Dutton claimed illiterate refugees would be dole bludgers and also steal Australian jobs (full story)
.@PeterDutton_MP says more refugees will take Australian's jobs or languish in unemployment queues #ausvotes #pmlive https://t.co/TdFlaQc8Tb
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) May 17, 2016
When dank memes first entered the mainstream political lexicon (full story):
80 days until a July 2 election! Here's your friendly reminder that @TurnbullMalcolm wants to privatise TAFE. pic.twitter.com/bjiXMTsHcK
— The AMWU (@theamwu) April 13, 2016
When Bill Shorten AND Malcolm Turnbull both patted rats (full story):
Another campaign rat...at the Sydney Fish Market @billshortenmp @tanya_plibersek #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/fooxeooyrN
— Jane Norman (@janeenorman) June 1, 2016
We've seen it all. @TurnbullMalcolm pats Splinter the rat at Westfield Penrith @australian #ausvotes pic.twitter.com/cG6CEV7p1U
— Rosie Lewis (@rosieslewis) May 30, 2016
When Bob Katter published an ad where he shot two men dead, just days after the Orlando shooting (full story):
When a Family First candidate linked the Orlando shooting to gay marriage (full story):
Though Orlando is abhorrent, it doesn't change the real & present dangers of the gay marriage agenda to Aus children.
— Peter Madden (@PeterMadden2u) June 13, 2016
When the Liberals published THAT ad about a tradie, who everyone claimed was fake, and then it was found out that he wasn't fake after all (full story):
Watch our new TV ad: Labor's war on the economy will cost jobs #ausvotes #auspolhttps://t.co/VQf9jF4s3C
— Liberal Party (@LiberalAus) June 19, 2016
When GetUp! gave Malcolm Turnbull's posters a little makeover (full story):
Some fun new additions to Malcolm Turnbull's corflutes overnight. Wonder how they got there? pic.twitter.com/iVxyIRVbG1
— GetUp! (@GetUp) June 18, 2016
When a former Australian Idol host James Mathison unexpectedly decided to run against Tony Abbott in Warringah (full story):
You said it pic.twitter.com/s0F5GiolVj
— James Mathison (@jamesmathison) May 27, 2016
When heaps of our political leaders tried very hard to avoid calling themselves 'feminists' (full story)
Basically everything that Barnaby Joyce did through the entire eight weeks (here and here):
But especially when he kept making Johnny Depp jokes (full story):
When Bill Shorten plastered his face, giant-size, across the side of a bus:
Big Bill. Little Bill. #politiclive @murpharoo pic.twitter.com/D84xop9O3F
— Gabrielle Chan (@gabriellechan) May 9, 2016
And when Bill Shorten started fist-bumping and high-fiving all the kids (full story):
When Tony Windsor high-fived a dog:
How cool is @MackDog2341? #auspol #ausvotes #WombatTrail2016 #thuglife pic.twitter.com/qHjaR6IJS5
— ABCcameramatt (@ABCcameramatt) May 9, 2016
When Clive Palmer told us that being a politician was "worse than Alcatraz" (full story):
When the Daily Telegraph splashed their support for Labor favourite Anthony Albanese:
Murdoch has decreed. Albo used to fight Tories but now the world's biggest Tory is fighting to save him. pic.twitter.com/JTimk6viu4
— Adam Bandt (@AdamBandt) May 10, 2016
When Senator John Madigan crafted a Ned Kelly suit of armour, as a fundraiser for his re-election campaign (full story):
When Sam Dastyari made the cutest video ever about tax avoidance:
The cutest guide to tax avoidance...https://t.co/GsMRvNfB2f
— Sam Dastyari (@samdastyari) May 12, 2016
When we figured out why Malcolm Turnbull always looks ready to punch someone (full story):
When Glenn Lazarus set off a storm by claiming Manus Island refugees were treated "like kings" (full story)
When Liberal candidate Chris Jermyn crashed a Shorten event, then ran from the media and couldn't answer basic questions (full story)
When David Leyonhjelm made the weirdest election ad, featuring his two dogs and some cake (full story):
Stop Mal & Bill snuffling up your super #ausvotes #auspol #pugs #ausvotes2016 #pugsoftwitterhttps://t.co/m4MD6l8EW7
— David Leyonhjelm (@DavidLeyonhjelm) May 20, 2016
When Greens senator Peter Whish-Wilson proposed snipers to kill dogs preying on penguins (full story)
When straight white man Scott Morrison said he knew about the struggles that LGBTI people face, because he had faced "bigotry" too (full story)
And finally, when this bloke in budgie smugglers became the national icon of election day (full story):