Life on the hustings is tough. It's one thing to pontificate at a press conference about what the voters want and another to come face to face with the voting public while you're just trying to get through the day without making any babies cry. Every stumble, faux pas, interview fail and unguarded moment is captured by TV cameras. As our pollies get busy making new memories for us in the lead-up to the July 2 election, here's a look at 10 golden moments of Australian campaigning.
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Norman Gunston upstages Gough Whitlam
Norman Gunston (Garry McDonald) and Gough Whitlam after the dismissal of Whitlam in 1975.
The most entertaining part of the 1975 Dismissal, which can be described as the bitter end of a campaign of sorts, was when Garry McDonald's alter ego Norman Gunston intercepted a press conference with Malcolm Fraser, heckled Governor-General John Kerr and addressed a crowd of Whitlam supporters before the ousted leader had a chance to speak.
Bob Hawke snaps at Richard Carleton
Bob Hawke is interviewed by Richard Carleton during a famous exchange in 1983. Photo: Channel 9
Aside from the time Hawke freaked out and thought he was being assassinated when a light bulb exploded during a 1986 press conference, the silver fox also lost his rag in 1983 during an interview with Richard Carleton. When the late broadcaster questioned him about the resignation of Bill Hayden, Hawke mimicked Carleton's quizzical face and spluttered about his "damned impertinence".
John Hewson falters during "birthday cake" interview
Prime Minister Paul Keating and Opposition Leader John Hewson shake hands before debating, with the ABC's Kerry O'Brien as moderator, during the 1993 election campaign. Photo: Palani Mohan
Immortalised in rap battle form in Keating! The Musical, the 1993 stoush between Paul Keating and John Hewson over the latter's proposed GST tax was peppered with highlights. Among them was Keating's proclamation in Parliament that he wouldn't call an early election because he wanted to "do" Hewson "slowly". But it was in an interview with Mike Willesee that Hewson hung himself, unable to answer a question about the GST on a birthday cake.
Mark Latham goes heavy on the handshake
Then Opposition Leader Mark Latham gives then Prime Minister John Howard a power handshake during the 2004 election campaign. Photo: Penny Bradfield
In the 2004 Federal Election, Opposition Leader Mark Latham shocked the country by too-vigorously shaking the hand of Prime Minister John Howard. This ungentlemanly gesture was roundly criticised and some said it destroyed any chance he had of winning the election.
Craig Emerson sings
In 2013, for reasons best known to himself, Labor MP Craig Emerson decided the best way to promote the carbon tax was through the medium of song. And not just any song: a number he apparently penned himself, entitled No Whyalla Wipeout, to the tune of Skyhooks' Horror Movie. With a backing track. He went on to reprise the performance on the Chaser's The Hamster Decides.
Stephanie Banister explains religion
One Nation candidate Stephanie Banister describes Islam as a country. Photo: Channel 7
One Nation candidate Stephanie Banister made such a dreadful gaffe in 2013 that it killed her political career before it had begun. With a straight face, she declared during a television interview, "I don't oppose Islam as a country," and went on to say that she thought Jewish people were all right because they follow Jesus Christ.
Jaymes Diaz does a possum-in-the-headlights
Jaymes Diaz failed in his bid for the seat of Greenway in the 2013 election after a Channel 10 interview.
In one of the most excruciating interviews of all time, Liberal candidate Jaymes Diaz died a thousand deaths when asked by a reporter to name at least one of the points of Tony Abbott's six-point-plan to "stop the boats". Abbott himself later called Diaz to offer his commiserations.
Tony Abbott meets a voter
"Dickhead": Tony Abbott meets a disgruntled voter. Photo: ABC
On and off the election trail, former Tony Abbott can be counted on to cause a stir. He's munched on raw onions, suggested that Kevin Rudd is not the "suppository of all wisdom", praised a new candidate for her "sex appeal", and accidentally kissed the mother of a baby proffered to him. But perhaps his finest campaign moment occurred in 2011 in a department store when he greeted a senior male customer who responded with a single word: "Dickhead".
Bill Shorten zings
Zinger: Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The current Leader of the Opposition has earned himself a cult status to rival that of Lee Lin Chin (Waleed Aly obviously gave that up when he accepted his Gold Logie) by becoming his own running gag. Never one to waste an opportunity to mangle a sentence or deliver an obscure put-down, his "zingers", as coined by Shaun Micallef, include the delightful description of the Liberal party as "cheese-eating surrender monkeys of Australian jobs".
Malcolm Turnbull fails to impress
Train rides can be lead to surprises, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has found. Photo: AAP/Lukas Coch
The latest campaign oopsy occurred just last week when footage emerged of the Prime Minister greeting a passenger on a train during a public transport stunt. The woman politely inquired who he was. Awkward.