List of political controversies in Australia

This is a list of major political controversies in Australia:

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Pre-federation
Controversy "name"
Date
State
People involved
Summary
Source
Rum Rebellion1808NSWDeposition and arrest of NSW Governor William Bligh by Major George Johnston, John Macarthur

Federal controversies

Barton government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Hopetoun Blunder1900n/a Lyne was chosen by Hopetoun to form Australia's first government, but leading politicians refused to serve under him and Barton was chosen instead. [1]

Deakin government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Petriana affair1903Government: ProtectionistAlfred Deakin|[[James Drake}} Citing the White Australia policy, the government refused permission for shipwrecked sailors of Asian origin to land in Australia. [2]

Hughes government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
ALP split of 19161916Government: ALP The ALP split over the issue of overseas conscription and the conscription referendum. Hughes and his supporters were expelled from the ALP and formed a separate National Labor Party.
–1918Government: Nationalist Jensen was sacked from the ministry after a royal commission reported unfavourable on his conduct as navy minister. [3]
McDougall incident1919Opposition: ALP During the 1919 federal election campaign, McDougall was kidnapped and publicly tarred and feathered by return soldiers. [4]

Bruce–Page government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Walsh–Johnson case1925Government: Nationalist The government unsuccessfully sought to deport Walsh and Johnson, foreign-born leaders of the militant Seamen's Union. Groom resigned as Attorney-General. [5]

Scullin government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
ALP split of 19311931Government: ALP The ALP split three ways over the Scullin Government's response to the Great Depression, with Lyons and his followers joining the opposition and Lang's supporters joining the crossbench. Both eventually voted down the government forcing the 1931 federal election.

Lyons government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Kisch case1934 Government: UAP
Opposition: ALP		 The government failed to stop a member of the German Communist Party from entering Australia.
Freer case1936Government: UAP/Country
 The government refused entry to Freer on the grounds of immoral conduct. Paterson's perceived bungling of the case effectively ended his ministerial career. [6]
1938Government: UAP McLachlan resigned as Postmaster-General following revelations of a conflict of interest with his business affairs. [7]
Dalfram dispute1938–1939Government: UAP Attorney-General Menzies intervened to force striking waterside workers to load pig iron on a ship bound to Japan.

Menzies government (I)
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
1940Government: UAP Lawson resigned as Minister for Trade and Customs following revelations of a conflict of interest. [8]

Curtin government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
"Brisbane Line" affair1942–1943Government: ALP A royal commission found Ward had made unsubstantiated claims about the previous government's war strategy. He remained in the ministry but was demoted to lesser portfolios.

Chifley government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
New South Wales coal strike1949Government: ALP The govermnent sent in troops as strike-breakers following an illegal strike by the Australian Coal and Shale Employees' Federation.

Menzies government (II)
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Petrov Affair1954Government: Liberal
Opposition: ALP		 Petrov and his wife defected from the USSR to Australia in dramatic circumstances, which the Menzies Government exploited for political gain in the lead-up to the 1954 election.
ALP split of 19551955Opposition: ALP
Crossbench: ALP (Anti-Communist)		 ALP members opposed to Evatt's leadership, predominantly associated with the anti-communist Industrial Groups and Santamaria's Catholic Social Studies Movement, either left the party or were expelled, forming what eventually became the Democratic Labor Party.

Holt government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Melbourne–Voyager collision1964–1967Government: Liberal/Country The government stalled on holding a second royal commission into the collision, following concerns over the conclusions of the first.
VIP affair1967Government: Liberal
Opposition: ALP
Crossbench: DLP		 Government cover-up of misuse of RAAF VIP flights; Holt and Hewson misled parliament. [9]

Whitlam government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Gair Affair1974 ALPVince Gair, Gough Whitlam, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Lionel Murphy, Ron Maunsell, Magnus Cormack, Billy Snedden
Morosi Affair1974-1977 ALP Jim Cairns, Junie Morosi
Loans affair1975 ALP Jim Cairns, Rex Connor
1975 Australian constitutional crisis1975 ALP
Liberal Party		 Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, Sir John KerrKerr dismissed the sitting government of the day[10]

Fraser government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
1976Government: Liberal Garland resigned as Minister for Post and Telecommunications after being charged with electoral offences. They were dismissed and he returned to the ministry in 1977. [11]
1977Government: Liberal Lynch resigned as Treasurer following allegations of a conflict of interest relating to his land dealings. Two reports found he had not acted illegally and he returned to the ministry one month later in a different portfolio. [11]
1978Government: Liberal Withers was sacked as Minister for Administrative Services after a Queensland royal commission found he had attempted to interfere with an electoral redistribution. [12]
1979Government: NCP Sinclair resigned as Minister for Primary Industry after a report to the New South Wales parliament accused him of inappropriate business dealings. He was charged with fraud but acquitted, and returned to the ministry in 1980. [12]
Colour TV affair1982Government: Liberal MacKellar submitted an incorrect customs declaration relating to his importation of a colour television, which Moore attempted to cover up. Both resigned from the ministry. [13]

Hawke government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Combe–Ivanov affair1983Government: ALP Young resigned as Special Minister of State following revelations he had leaked the government's decision to expel Soviet diplomat Ivanov. [14]
1987Government: ALP Brown resigned from the ministry after misleading parliament over World Expo 88 tenders. [15]
1988Government: ALP Young resigned from parliament and the ministry after allegations he had mishandled campaign donations. Loosley later accepted responsibility for the errors. [15]

Keating government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Marshall Islands affair1992 Government: ALP Richardson was censured by the Senate and resigned from the ministry due to controversy over his dealings with Symons, a businessman charged with forgery in relation to a migration scheme based in the Marshall Islands. [16]
Sandwich shop affair1994 Government: ALP Griffiths resigned from the ministry after allegations he had misused party and government resources for personal gain. He was later cleared of wrongdoing by an Australian Federal Police investigation. [17]
Sports rorts affair1994 Government: ALP Kelly resigned from the ministry, and later from parliament, over allegations of pork barreling. [17]

Howard government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
1996 Government: Liberal Short and Gibson separately resigned as parliamentary secretaries due to conflicts of interest relating to their shareholdings. [18]
1997 Government: Liberal Prosser resigned from the ministry due to a conflict of interest relating to his ownership of a small business. [18]
Travel rorts 1997 Government: Liberal/National Sharp and McGauran resigned from the ministry over false travel expense claims, while Jull resigned due after allowing Sharp to make secret payments and tabling an inaccurate report. [19]
Tampa affair2001 Government: Liberal The government refused to allow asylum-seekers to enter Australia.
Children Overboard affair2001 Government: Liberal Howard falsely claimed that asylum seekers were throwing their children into the water so the navy would be forced to rescue them.[20]
Unlawful detention of Cornelia Rau2005 Government: Liberal
Unlawful deportation of Vivian Solon2005 Government: Liberal
AWB oil-for-wheat scandal2006 Government: Liberal A royal commission found that AWB Limited had paid kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq in exchange for lucrative wheat contracts, contravening UN sanctions.
Muhamed Haneef affair2007 Government: Liberal Haneef's visa was cancelled following false allegations he had aided terrorists.
Lindsay pamphlet scandal2007 Government: Liberal Liberal Party volunteers distributed fake pamphlets purporting to be from an Islamic organisation.

Rudd government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Utegate or OzCar affair2009 Liberal Party Malcolm Turnbull, Godwin Grech
Pink Batts scandal2010 ALP Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett

Gillard government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Health Services Union expenses affair2010 ALP Craig Thomson, Health Services Union, Kathy Jackson, Fair Work Australia, Julia Gillard, Michael Williamson
Ditch the Witch 2011 Liberal Party Tony Abbott, Bronwyn Bishop, Sophie Mirabella In a protest against the Gillard government's carbon tax a number of MPs from the Liberal party were pictured in front of signs saying "Ditch the Witch" and "JuLiar... Bob Brown's Bitch" [21]
Peter Slipper affair2012 Liberal Party
ALP		 Peter Slipper, James Ashby

Abbott government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Offshore detention crisis2013-2019Liberal Party Tony Abbott
Scott Morrison		 Asylum seekers were locked up indefinitely while their refugee status was being assessed
Spying on Indonesian officials2009-2013Liberal Party
ALP		 Tony Abbott Australian spy agencies attempted to tap the phones of high ranking Indonesian officials including the president. Abbott refused to apologise [22]
Australian Water Holdings corruption scandal2013Liberal Party Arthur Sinodinos Corruption in Australian Water Holdings and ICAC investigation into fundraising at the Liberal Party [23][24]
Joe Hockey's first budget2014Liberal Party Tony Abbott
Joe Hockey		 The first budget delivered by the government was seen as being based on severe cuts to welfare and other social programs. It triggered a polling slump that Abbott struggled to recover from
Shirtfronting Putin2014Liberal Party Tony Abbott Abbott promised to "shirtfront" Putin when confronting him about his role in the MH17 disaster [25]
Duke of Edinburgh knighthood2015Liberal Party Tony Abbott After controversially reinstating knighthoods, Abbott gave one of the first knighthoods to Prince Philip rather than to an Australian [26]
Joe Hockey home ownership gaff2015Liberal Party Joe Hockey With house prices rising sharply, treasurer Joe Hockey said on radio that the first step to home ownership was "get a good job that pays good money" [27]
Dutton overheard on a hot mic2015Liberal Party Peter Dutton
Tony Abbott
Scott Morrison		 Peter Dutton at a press conference was overheard on an overhead microphone saying about the Pacific Islands that "time doesn't mean anything when you're about to have water lapping at your door" [28]
Choppergate2015 Liberal Party Bronwyn Bishop Bishop was found to have chartered a helicopter to a Liberal Party fundraiser. This was charged at over $5,000 for what would have been a 1 hour drive.

Turnbull government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis2017 Liberal Party
Nationals
ALP
Greens
Xenophon
One Nation		 Scott Ludlam, Larissa Waters, Matt Canavan, Malcolm Roberts, Barnaby Joyce, Fiona Nash, Nick Xenophon and others Parliamentarians of various parties were found to be in breach of Section 44 of the Constitution which prohibits dual citizens from sitting in parliament
Bonk Ban 2018 Nationals Barnaby Joyce Joyce who was married at the time, was discovered having an affair with a staffer, who was pregnant with his baby. In response a code of conduct was introduced that prevented relationships between MPs and staffers [29]
Helloworld scandal 2019 Liberal Party Mathias Cormann, Joe Hockey It was uncovered that government contracts were being given to a Liberal Party donor, who was also paying for the holidays of a number of MPs [30]

Morrison government
Controversy "name"
Date
Parties involved
People involved
Summary
Source
Robodebt2018-19Liberal Party Scott Morrison, Stuart Robert, Christian PorterCentrelink were issuing automated debts that had not been incurred by the individuals concerned.
It's ok to be white 2018 Liberal Party

One Nation

 Christian Porter

Mathias Cormann

Pauline Hanson

 The governing coalition supported a motion in the senate declaring "it's ok to be white" and opposing the "deplorable rise of anti-white racism and attacks on Western civilisation" [31]
Chinese election signs 2019 Liberal Party Gladys Liu

Josh Frydenberg

 The Liberal party put up signs in Mandarin in places with large Chinese populations that were deliberately made to look like they were produced by the AEC. The signs directed voter to vote for the Liberal Party [32]
Hawaii holiday 2019-20 Liberal Party Scott Morrison Scott Morrison took a family holiday to Hawaii during one of the worst bushfire seasons on record. He returned only after significant public pressure [33]
Forced hand shakes 2020 Liberal Party Scott Morrison When touring bushfire affected communities, many residents refused to engage with Morrison. On a number of occasions Morrison forced a handshake on residents [34]
Bushfire response ad 2020 Liberal Party Scott Morrison The government released an ad praising their bushfire response. The ad was attacked as being a party political ad paid for by taxpayers [35]
Sports rorts affair (2020)2019–20Liberal Party
Nationals		Bridget McKenzieThe government were providing grants for sports projects for communities in marginal electorates. Many of these projects were considered low priority or previously rejected, and were seen as a way to defend the marginal electorates.
Brian Houston invited to the White House 2020 Liberal Party Scott Morrison Scott Morrison's pastor, Houston, was invited to attend an official White House dinner. Houston is under investigation for covering up his father's sex abuse [36]
Destruction of Aboriginal cultural sites 2020 Liberal Party Ken Wyatt Miners Rio Tinto destroyed two sites of Aboriginal cultural significance in Juukan Gorge. [37][38]

State controversies

New South Wales
Controversy "name"
Date
State
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
1932 New South Wales constitutional crisis1932NSW Lang Dismissal of NSW Premier Jack Lang by governor Philip Game
Metherell affair1992NSW Greiner Nick Greiner, Tim Moore, Terry Metherell
Orange Grove affair2004NSW Carr
Eddie Obeid corruption scandals2012NSW Carr,

Iemma, Rees, Keneally

 Eddie Obeid, Ian Macdonald
Grangegate2014NSW O'FarrellBarry O'Farrell O'Farrell received a $3,000 bottle of Grange Hermitage and did not declare it.

Queensland
Controversy "name"
Date
State
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
Mungana affair1929QueenslandTheodore Corrupt actions by Qld. Premiers Ted Theodore and William McCormack
Bjelkemander1972 -1987Queensland Bjelke-Petersen Joh Bjelke-Petersen
Fitzgerald Inquiry1987Queensland Bjelke-Petersen Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Terry Lewis, Leisha Harvey, Don Lane, Brian Austin
Scott Driscoll corruption scandals2013Queensland NewmanScott Driscoll

South Australia
Controversy "name"
Date
State
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
Playmander1936-1968South Australia Playford South Australian Electoral "gerrymander" favouring the Liberal and Country League and Sir Thomas Playford
Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy1989-1997South Australia Bannon, Arnold, Brown, Olsen Ngarrindjeri people, Tom & Wendy Chapman, Michael Armitage, Robert Tickner, Ian McLachlan, John von Doussa Building of a road bridge at Goolwa, linking Hindmarsh Island to the town. Resulted in the Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission.
State Bank of South Australia collapse1991South AustraliaBannon It caused the resignation of premier John Bannon in 1992, and the crushing electoral defeat of the South Australian Labor government at the 1993 election.
Motorola affair2001South Australia Olsen John Olsen

Tasmania
Controversy "name"
Date
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
Edmund Rouse bribery scandal1989Jim Cox, Robin Gray, Gunns

Victoria
Controversy "name"
Date
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
State Bank of Victoria collapse1990 Kirner These events were a key factor in the defeat of the Labor government of Joan Kirner and the election of the Liberal Party, led by Jeff Kennett, at the 1992 Victorian state election
Lobster with a Mobster 2018 Andrews Matthew Guy The opposition leader, Guy was photographed having lunch with an alleged organised crime boss [39]
Branch stacking scandal 2020 Andrews Adem Somyurek High level and wide reaching cases of branch stacking in the Victorian Labor party. Outcome was the federal party taking over the state branch for several years to fix the problem

Western Australia
Controversy "name"
Date
Administration
People involved
Summary
Source
Nevanas affair1915 Scaddan Actions leading to the downfall of John Scaddan's W.A. government
WA Inc royal commission1992BurkeBrian Burke, Alan Bond, Laurie Connell
Easton affair1992 Court Carmen Lawrence
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

References
  1. La Nauze, John (1957). The Hopetoun Blunder: The Appointment of the First Prime Minister of Australia, December 1900. Melbourne University Press.
  2. Foster, Leonie (2014). "Shipwrecks and the White Australia policy". The Great Circle. The Australian Association for Maritime History. 36 (2): 68–84. JSTOR 24583070.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 11.
  4. King, Terry (1983). "The Tarring and Feathering of J. K. McDougall: 'Dirty Tricks' in the 1919 Federal Election". Labour History. 45: 54–67.
  5. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 12.
  6. Hartcher, Peter (4 December 2019). "From the Archives, 1936: The lady, the puritan, and the cover-up". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
  7. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 15.
  8. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 16.
  9. Hancock, Ian (2003). "The V.I.P. Affair, 1966–67: The causes, course and consequences of a ministerial and public service cover-up" (PDF). Australasian Parliamentary Review. Australasian Study of Parliament Group. 18(2).
  10. Twomey, Anne. "Australian politics explainer: Gough Whitlam's dismissal as prime minister". The Conversation. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  11. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 23.
  12. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 24.
  13. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 25.
  14. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 26.
  15. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 27.
  16. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 31.
  17. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 34.
  18. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 35.
  19. Wilson & Healy 2017, p. 35–36.
  20. Marr, David (2014-02-11). "Burnt hands, children overboard, it all seems the same to Peter Reith | David Marr". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2019-12-01.
  21. Muller, Denis. "Sexist abuse has a long history in Australian politics – and takes us all to a dark place". The Conversation. Retrieved 2020-06-11.
  22. "Abbott rejects Indonesia's call for spying apology". www.abc.net.au. 2013-11-19. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  23. Griffiths, political correspondent Emma (2014-03-19). "Sinodinos stands aside as Assistant Treasurer over ICAC investigation". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  24. Elvery, Simon (2014-04-29). "A tangled web: ICAC investigates NSW corruption". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  25. "What is a 'shirtfront'?". www.abc.net.au. 2014-10-13. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  26. "Angus Houston, Prince Philip named Australia's newest knights". ABC News. 2015-01-26. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  27. Clarke, political reporters Melissa; Bennett, James (2015-06-09). "'Get a good job': Hockey under fire over advice to first-home buyers". ABC News. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  28. "Dutton jokes about rising sea levels in Pacific". www.abc.net.au. 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  29. Crowe, David (2020-04-16). "'How could he have been so stupid': Turnbull, Joyce and the 'bonk ban' debacle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  30. Hatch, Patrick (2019-02-22). "Suspicious minds are circling Helloworld boss". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  31. "Senators backed Hanson's 'OK to be white' motion by mistake: Government". www.abc.net.au. 2018-10-15. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  32. Taylor, Josh (2019-11-06). "Liberal official admits Chinese language signs were meant to look like they came from AEC". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  33. Remeikis, Amy (2019-12-20). "Scott Morrison's Hawaii horror show: how a PR disaster unfolded". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  34. Staff; agencies (2020-01-02). "Scott Morrison heckled after he tries to shake hands with bushfire victim in NSW town of Cobargo". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  35. "'Like being sold to at a funeral': Morrison slammed for running political ads during fire crisis". www.abc.net.au. 2020-01-04. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  36. "Morrison admits inviting controversial pastor to White House dinner". The New Daily. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  37. "Rio Tinto blasting of 46,000-year-old Aboriginal sites compared to Islamic State's destruction in Palmyra". www.abc.net.au. 2020-05-29. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  38. Wahlquist, Calla (2020-05-30). "Juukan Gorge: Rio Tinto blasting of Aboriginal site prompts calls to change antiquated laws". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-05-31.
  39. "Liberals review slams town party for 'lobster with a mobster'". NewsComAu. 2019-11-20. Retrieved 2020-06-17.

Further reading
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.