2016 Australian politics quiz: there was an election, but what else?

Bill Shorten, Malcolm Turnbull and Pauline Hanson all had a momentous year, though not all in a good way. Composite: Jonny Weeks for the Guardian

1. Bill Shorten began the year with an awkward moment on his supermarket tour to oppose a rise in the GST, when he asked a customer in Queanbeyan Woolies about their favourite type of a certain fruit or veg. Which one?

   1. Mango

   2. Lettuce

   3. Avocado

   4. Apple

2. In November George Brandis was caught on an open microphone giving a candid description of his state colleagues in the Queensland LNP. What did he call them?

   1. Mediocre

   2. Very mediocre

   3. Very, very mediocre

   4. Doing the best job possible under the circumstances

3. After Wyatt Roy lost his seat of Longman at the federal election, he said he was looking forward to “just being 26 :)”. How did this manifest itself?

   1. He travelled to the Malaysian grand prix and stripped down to his budgie smugglers

   2. He travelled to Bali and got embarrassingly drunk

   3. He travelled across the US on an “epic” road trip

   4. He travelled to Iraq and was caught up in fighting against Islamic State

4. 

   “He’s a deep thinker. You wouldn’t think it, but he actually is.” Who was the Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie talking about during September's marathon four-hour Senate filibuster?

   1. National party leader Barnaby Joyce

   2. National party Senate leader Nigel Scullion

   3. Outspoken LNP MP George Christensen

   4. Her cattle dog, Blue

5. Nikki Savva’s book on the relationship between Peta Credlin and Tony Abbott came out in March. Which of these activities was not mentioned as something Credlin would allegedly do for Abbott?

   1. Bake him biscuits

   2. Clip his fingernails

   3. Let him sip wine out of her glass

   4. Feed him food off her plate

6. Who said they “trembled” at the thought of Donald Trump becoming US president?

   1. John Howard

   2. Sarah Hanson-Young

   3. Christopher Pyne

   4. Penny Wong

7. In March Greens leader Richard Di Natale posed for a controversial photoshoot for GQ magazine. What was he wearing?

   1. Socks and sandals

   2. A Richmond Tigers guernsey

   3. A black skivvy

   4. Very little

8. In February, which organisation promised to “fight for a cause which could determine the future of western civilisation, freedom, liberty and humankind”?

   1. The Institute for Public Affairs

   2. The Ramsay Centre for Western Civilisation, where Tony Abbott became a director

   3. GetUp

   4. George Christensen’s anti-Islamist website

9. 

   One Nation (and now former One Nation) senators have backed a colourful range of policies since their election in July. Which of these is not among them?

   1. Australia to leave the United Nations

   2. The creation of a publicly funded Patriotic Broadcasting Channel

   3. Reverting to the UK pound as Australia’s currency

   4. The recall of judges for ‘proven misbehaviour’

10. Which Labor figure declared they were “not a shy person” and had “never been afraid of the spotlight”?

    1. Paul Keating on launching Troy Bramston’s biography

    2. Linda Burney on becoming the first Indigenous woman elected to the lower house

    3. Sam Dastyari on stepping down from the frontbench over a donation from a Chinese businessman

    4. Anne Aly on attacks from Julie Bishop tying her to radical Islam

11. On election night in July, which commentator did the Queensland LNP senator James McGrath accuse of being “the king of the bedwetters”?

    1. Alan Jones

    2. Chris Kenny

    3. Paul Murray

    4. Andrew Bolt

12. David Leyonhjelm quoted the demographer Bernard Salt in urging the ABC to break free from what?

    1. The smashed avocado wall

    2. The chai latte blinkers

    3. The goat’s cheese curtain

    4. The quinoa-proof fence

13. On the eve of the federal election, Malcolm Turnbull appeared on Kitchen Cabinet. How did he describe his job as prime minister?

    1. The best fun I have ever had in my life

    2. Not quite as much fun as I expected

    3. More fun than being opposition leader

    4. Long periods of relentless humiliation punctuated by moments of fun

14. 

    "Would you like to be pompous for the whole day, or only for this question?" Who did Penny Wong have in her sights at estimates in October?

    1. George Brandis

    2. Christopher Pyne

    3. Sussan Ley

    4. Peter Dutton

15. In November, which publication ran the headline: “AHRC head Gillian Triggs ‘failing older white men’”

    1. The Shovel

    2. The Australian

    3. The Betoota Advocate

    4. The Retiree

16. In December, who said: “We won’t deal with the problems of this country until we say this guy [the emperor] does or doesn’t have clothes on.”

    1. Julie Bishop

    2. Pauline Hanson

    3. Tanya Plibersek

    4. Jacqui Lambie

17. 

    In October, which international celebrity called on Barnaby Joyce to end the live export trade?

    1. Chrissie Hynde

    2. Johnny Depp

    3. Morrissey

    4. Brigitte Bardot

18. Who gave Malcolm Turnbull Donald Trump’s number?

    1. Gina Rinehart

    2. Joe Hockey

    3. Greg Norman

    4. Shane Warne

19. Which minister reacted angrily after an unflattering photo of him was posted on Twitter with the single-word caption "Eek"?

    1. Christopher Pyne

    2. Josh Frydenberg

    3. Scott Morrison

    4. Peter Dutton

20. The losing candidate in the last seat to be decided at the federal election signed off with a tweet saying: "Thank you linesmen. Thank you ball boys. My wife still loves me. Not so sure about my children." Who was it?

    1. Luke Simpkins in Cowan

    2. Ewen Jones in Herbert

    3. Peter Hendy in Eden-Monaro

    4. Tony Windsor in New England

Solutions

1:B, 2:C, 3:D - "It was very stupid, and I’m disappointed in Wyatt," said Malcolm Turnbull in his best father's voice., 4:B, 5:B, 6:A, 7:C - Di Natale's fashion sense led him to be unkindly compared with Daniel Craig, Steve Jobs and Sinéad O’Connor, among others. , 8:D, 9:C, 10:C - The former frontbencher resigned as he feared becoming "a distraction"., 11:A, 12:C - The smashed avocado curtain is the one concealing opponents of the shooting lobby, it later transpired., 13:A, 14:A - Brandis had taken her to task for her alleged misuse of the phrase "square away", telling the Labor senator: "You mean reconcile.", 15:B, 16:B - Perhaps not even then., 17:C - Joyce responded on Twitter, saying: "Sorry I don’t cut it at Splendour in the Grass.", 18:C - "He is a great advocate for strengthening the Australian-American alliance," Turnbull said., 19:D - The immigration minister asked Fairfax journalist Stephanie Peatling to remove her tweet, but not before others had shared it widely. , 20:B

Scores