2015 proved to be another in a run of turbulent years in Australian politics, with yet another incumbent prime minister replaced.
Australia has now had five prime ministers in five years after Malcolm Turnbull's successful toppling of Tony Abbott in September.
Greg Dyett reports.
"This has been a very important, sobering experience today. I'm very humbled by it. I'm very humbled by the great honour and responsibility that has been given to me today."
That was Malcolm Turnbull, on the night he became Australia's prime minister -- or at least prime minister to be -- September 13, 2015.
He had successfully challenged Tony Abbott for the leadership in a move that had been brewing for months, seven months to be exact.
It was back in February that Mr Abbott narrowly survived a spill motion that, likewise, had been brewing for months.
After he survived in February, he assured his colleagues he was now a changed man, someone who had listened to their concerns and learned.
"The Liberal Party has dealt with the spill motion, and now this matter is behind us. We are absolutely determined to work for you, the people, who elected us. We want to end the disunity and the uncertainty -- which destroyed two Labor governments -- and give you the good government that you deserve."
Tony Abbott gave himself six months to turn around the opinion polls, which showed both him and his party lagging badly.
It did not happen.
In July, the heat on him intensified when a $5,000 ride in a helicopter to a Liberal Party fundraiser by Speaker of the House of Representatives Brownyn Bishop was revealed.
Pressured to dump her, Mr Abbott refused.
But after weeks of damaging publicity, she eventually apologised, then, in August, resigned as Speaker.
Clive Palmer bid her farewell in a pointed online video.
"Goodbye, Bronwyn. Bronwyn, goodbye. Goodbye, Bronwyn. Bronwyn, Bronwyn, Bronwyn, goodbye, bye, bye."
Mr Abbott appeared to regain some political footing amid the humanitarian crisis in Europe that led numerous countries to agree to special intakes of refugees from Syria.
He announced his Government had agreed to take an extra 12,000.
"It's important that we act with our head as well as with our heart here. It is important that we don't bring in anyone from this troubled region who might ultimately be a problem to the Australian community, as far as we humanly can."
But there were other missteps, and, seven months after setting his own deadline for recovering public support, Mr Abbott and the Coalition still did not have it.
With the Coalition trailing in the polls, Mr Turnbull made his move in September and took over.
He enjoyed an immediate turnaround in the polls and rode that momentum almost to the end of the year before facing some difficult moments of his own.
One MP who helped plot his successful challenge was Queenslander Mal Brough, and Labor says Mr Brough was rewarded with the portfolio of Special Minister of State.
It was not long before Labor mounted an attack on the Minister over his role in the procuring of the diary of former Speaker Peter Slipper.
As the year ends, federal police are investigating Mr Brough and others over the affair, where Mr Slipper's then staffer James Ashby obtained his diary and leaked it.
He leaked it to Mr Brough and to News Limited.
Opposition legal affairs spokesman Mark Dreyfus led the parlimentary attack.
He seized on Mr Brough's comments in a 60 Minutes interview where he appeared to confirm he had asked James Ashby to obtain the diary.
"I ask the same question that was asked by Channel 9's Liz Hayes on 60 Minutes: Did you ask James Ashby to procure copies of Peter Slipper's diary for you?" (Brough:) "No."
Also as the parliamentary year came to a close, former minister Ian Macfarlane's career was in limbo after the Liberal National Party rejected his planned switch to the Nationals.
Mr Macfarlane had been passed over for Malcolm Turnbull's new ministry despite backing him, and a move to the Nationals was seen as a way back in.
Now, Mr Macfarlane says he is considering his options over the Christmas break although he does not feel ready to retire.
"I feel I still have a lot more I can do. I have a world of experience. I'm the longest-serving resources minister Australia's had. There may be opportunities in that area, or I may continue in politics."
Finally, in a political year dominated by the inner workings of the Liberals, 2015 brought a reflective moment for the party with the death in March of Malcolm Fraser.
The Liberal prime minister from November 1975, when Labor's Gough Whitlam was dismissed, until 1983, when Labor's Bob Hawke defeated him, died at age 84.
In the last years of his life, Mr Fraser had become active on social media, connecting with thousands of Australians.
At his state funeral, granddaughter Rachael Fraser explained how it all came about.
"A few years ago, Granddad was intrigued as to why all of his grandchildren were taking photos and constantly checking their phones. After a few long conversations about both Twitter and Facebook, at the age of 81, Granddad seemed to have his accounts up and running in no time and became more active than all of us put together. I still remember the cheeky grin on his face when he said, 'I've got 20,000 followers. How many do you have, Rach?'"
It was a light moment in an otherwise, yet again, grim political year.
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