Politics in 2019: How to describe the year in one sentence?

In part two of the year in politics 2019 (see Champs and Flops, yesterday), we asked our punditry pantheon: Give us the year in a sentence.

Gosh it’s warm today.

Alex Braae

Pitchfork politics, big improbable lies, bad hair and a 16-year-old climate change warrior whose mere presence sent a certain sub-group into an irrational hateful frenzy; every time you thought things couldn’t get more weird they just did – is it any wonder so many tuned out and tuned in to Love Island?

Linda Clark

Fucked; Australia is on fire yo.

Emma Espiner

Fucked.

Morgan Godfery

Despite it all, there was nothing new under the sun.

Liam Hehir

Inward-looking, protectionist, confused, angry.

Stephen Jacobi

The year lots of babies died unnecessarily because of anti-vaxxers.

Annabelle Lee

Don’t be a tough guy, don’t be a fool, I will call you later

Toby Manhire

Faster, yet slower.

Danyl Mclauchlan

The prime minister’s pitch-perfect response to Christchurch not only defined her leadership in New Zealand but offered the world a glimpse of a starkly different style of politics from the rabble-rousing and finger-pointing that characterises the Trump era.

Shane Te Pou

In existential crisis.

Claire Robinson

Full of hot air.

Trish Sherson