| Controversy "name" 
 | Date 
 | People involved 
 | 
| Rum rebellion | 1808 | Deposition and arrest of NSW Governor William Bligh by Major George Johnston, John Macarthur | 
| Hopetoun Blunder | 1900 | Appointment of the first Prime Minister: Edmund Barton, William Lyne and John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun | 
| Nevanas Affair | 1915 | Actions leading to the downfall of John Scaddan's W.A. government | 
| Mungana Affair | 1929 | Corrupt actions by Qld. Premiers Ted Theodore and William McCormack | 
| Lang Dismissal Crisis | 1932 | Dismissal of NSW Premier Jack Lang by governor Philip Game | 
| Attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia | 1934 | Egon Erwin Kisch, Joseph Lyons, Robert Menzies, Herbert Evatt and many others | 
| Playmander | 1936-1968 | South Australian Electoral "gerrymander" favouring the Liberal and Country League and Sir Thomas Playford | 
| Petrov Affair | 1954 | Vladimir Petrov and others | 
| Bjelkemander | 1972 -1987 | Joh Bjelke-Petersen | 
| Gair Affair | 1974 | Vince Gair, Gough Whitlam, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, Lionel Murphy, Ron Maunsell, Magnus Cormack, Billy Snedden | 
| Morosi Affair | 1974-1977 | Jim Cairns, Junie Morosi | 
| Loans Affair | 1975 | Jim Cairns, Rex Connor | 
| 1975 Australian constitutional crisis | 1975 | Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser, Sir John Kerr | 
| Combe-Ivanov affair | 1983 | David Combe, Valery Ivanov, Mick Young | 
| Fitzgerald Inquiry | 1987 | Joh Bjelke-Petersen | 
| Edmund Rouse bribery scandal | 1989 | Jim Cox, Robin Gray, Gunns | 
| State Bank of Victoria collapse | 1990 | These events were a key factor in the defeat of the Labor government of Joan Kirner and the election of the Liberal Party, led by Jeff Kennett, at the 1992 Victorian state election | 
 
| State Bank of South Australia collapse | 1991 | It caused the resignation of premier John Bannon in 1992, and the crushing electoral defeat of the South Australian Labor government at the 1993 election. | 
| WA Inc royal commission | 1992 | Brian Burke, Alan Bond, Laurie Connell | 
| Easton affair | 1992 | Carmen Lawrence | 
| Metherell affair | 1992 | Nick Greiner, Tim Moore, Terry Metherell | 
| Sports rorts affair | 1994 | Ros Kelly | 
| Bruce Stadium affair | 2000 | Kate Carnell | 
| Tampa affair | 2001 | John Howard | 
| Children Overboard Affair | 2001 | John Howard | 
| Motorola affair | 2001 | John Olsen | 
| Orange Grove affair | 2004 |  | 
| Trish Draper travel incident | 2004 |  | 
| Unlawful detention of Cornelia Rau | 2005 | Philip Ruddock | 
| Unlawful deportation of Vivian Solon | 2005 | Philip Ruddock | 
| AWB Oil-for-Wheat Scandal | 2006 | AWB Limited | 
| Muhamed Haneef affair | 2007 | Philip Ruddock, Kevin Andrews | 
| Lindsay pamphlet scandal | 2007 | Jackie Kelly | 
| Iguana Joe's incident | 2008 | Belinda Neal allegedly abusing restaurant staff | 
| Belinda Neal comment | 2008 | Belinda Neal comment to Sophie Mirabella concerning Mirabella's unborn child | 
| Utegate or OzCar affair | 2009 | Malcolm Turnbull, Godwin Grech | 
| Pink Batts scandal | 2010 | Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett | 
| Health Services Union expenses affair | 2010 | Craig Thomson, Health Services Union, Kathy Jackson, Fair Work Australia, Julia Gillard, Michael Williamson | 
| Rattnergate | 2011 | "Michael Rattner", Pauline Hanson, Jeremy Buckingham, Alasdair Webster | 
 
| Peter Slipper affair | 2012 | Peter Slipper, James Ashby | 
| Eddie Obeid, Ian MacDonald and related parties affair | 2012 | Eddie Obeid, Ian MacDonald, John Maitland, Moses Obeid, Travers Duncan, John McGuigan, John Atkinson, John Kinghorn, Richard Poole and Barry O'Farrell | 
| Grangegate | 2014 | Barry O'Farrell | 
| Choppergate | 2015 | Bronwyn Bishop |