Pollies flock to #auspol as Federal Parliament kicks off

Following the marathon #ausvotes campaign, pollies have descended on the nation’s capital for the official opening of the 45th Federal Parliament.

Proceedings kicked off with the Welcome to Country ceremony which has formed part of the Opening of Parliament since 2008.

MPs and Senators took to Twitter to share their excitement about being sworn in and getting straight to work.

The issue of marriage equality and the Government’s plebiscite proposal was one of the key issues that dominated debate in the first sitting week.

Other issues that had Twitter users buzzing on #auspol included proposed changes to the Racial Discrimination Act and the constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.

The first week of Parliament was a family affair for some as pollies got down to business, with some even cracking the whip, quite literally!

But being an MP or Senator doesn’t always have to be serious business. In the first sitting week, we’ve already seen MPs catching Pokemon, getting in a bit of a power nap - and of course, the return of the Queen of the emojis!

For more on #auspol, make sure you are following @govAU for all the latest updates from the @TwitterAU Government and Elections team!