2018

AUGUST

* Scott Morrison becomes Australia's 30th prime minister, defeating Peter Dutton in a Liberal party ballot. Josh Frydenberg defeats Greg Hunt for the deputy leadership, becoming treasurer.

* Malcolm Turnbull resigns from parliament, triggering the Wentworth by-election.

SEPTEMBER

* Morrison makes first overseas visit as leader, to Jakarta.

* Royal commission into aged care announced.

* Liberal MP Ann Sudmalis announces she's quitting parliament, blaming "bullying" branch stackers.

* Morrison strikes a $4.6 billion peace deal with Catholic and independent schools.

* Morrison rejects the idea of an indigenous voice to parliament, claiming it would be a third chamber.

OCTOBER

* Morrison reveals he is considering moving Australia's embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

* The government makes an embarrassing backdown after senators voted in favour of Pauline Hanson's "it's OK to be white" motion.

* Liberals' Dave Sharma loses the Wentworth by-election to independent Kerryn Phelps.

* The government make a national apology to victims of institutional child sex abuse.

* Morrison faces his first major foreign policy test, attending global leaders summits in Singapore and Papua New Guinea.

NOVEMBER

* Julia Banks quits the Liberal Party to sit as an independent, bagging her party's right faction. The government announces an April 2 budget will be in surplus, with an election to follow in May.

* Labor wins Victorian election with federal coalition infighting damaging Liberal campaign

DECEMBER

* Morrison says Australia would now recognise West Jerusalem as Israel's capital but maintain its embassy in Tel Aviv, thereby backtracking on part of his Wentworth by-election promise.

* Nationals MP Andrew Broad, who represents the Victorian seat of Mallee, decides to quit over the "sugar daddy" scandal.

2019

JANUARY

* Minister Kelly O'Dwyer announces she is quitting to spend more time with her family, as does former minister Michael Keenan and NT frontbencher Nigel Scullion.

* Liberal candidate in Gilmore, Grant Schultz, is axed in favour of former Labor president Warren Mundine. Schultz decides to run as an independent, with the backing of disgruntled party members.

FEBRUARY

* Former Liberal deputy leader Julie Bishop says she is retiring, as does Defence Minister Christopher Pyne.

* Government holds longest-ever question time to delay defeat on a disability royal commission motion.

* Medevac laws pass parliament contrary to government's wishes, triggering reopening of Christmas Island facility.

MARCH

* Indonesia free trade deal signed.

* Nationals launched bid for coal-fired power, as Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce exchange fire.

* Former minister Craig Laundy retires.

* Debate over extremism after Christchurch mosque shooting.

* Liberals/National coalition re-elected in NSW election

APRIL

* Federal budget brought forward a month to deliver pre-election sweeteners and a prospect of surplus.

* Labor budget reply focuses on better tax cuts and a cancer care package

* Senator Fraser Anning censured over mosque shooting comments

* Government approves Adani groundwater plan, amid pressure from Nationals

MAY

* Morrison and Bill Shorten face off in election campaign.

* Contrary to most expectations, Morrison wins poll with 77 seats to Labor's 68 and six crossbenchers. Shorten quits Labor leadership but stays in parliament. Tony Abbott loses his seat. Parliament no longer has any former PMs in its ranks.

* Anthony Albanese is elected Labor leader and keeps Shorten in shadow cabinet.

* Morrison cabinet reshuffle keeps many of the Dutton forces in the ministry, adds more women.

JUNE

* Morrison visits Solomon Islands, UK and Singapore to drive his Pacific Step-Up message.

* Police raids on the ABC and a News Corp journalist's home trigger concerns over the chilling effect on journalists who receive national security leaks.

* Labor faces a crisis over what to do with rogue construction union boss John Setka, who Albanese wants to oust from the party.

* Adani's Carmichael mine gets the federal green light.

JULY

* Morrison attends G20 summit in Japan, as the "strained" US-China relationship dominates talks

* Parliament sits for first time since the election, with personal tax cuts debated and passed

* Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove steps down, replaced by David Hurley

* Morrison commits to more help for drought-hit farmers at a summit in Dubbo

* AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin and public service boss Martin Parkinson announce retirement

AUGUST

* It is revealed Treasurer Josh Frydenberg faces two High Court challenges to his eligibility to sit in parliament

* Liberal MP Andrew Hastie triggers debate over a lack of focus on China's military rise, comparing it to the underestimation of Nazi Germany

* Morrison lays out plans for the public service to be more efficient and respond to the needs of middle Australia

* Morrison heads to Tuvalu, Vietnam, France and East Timor for climate, trade and security meetings

Australian Associated Press