It had been a particularly bitter lead-up to the election, so the four major candidates decided to have a dinner together and bury some hatchets.
The night went so well that in the wee hours of the morning, they decided to bond in a group therapy session and stretch their parliamentary privilege by revealing their biggest political weakness.
One of the pollies leans forward and spills: "My weakness is that my campaign this election has been run on mudslinging and muckraking.
"We don't even have any policies!" The other three praise this politician for their honesty.
The second polly pipes up: "I have a bad drinking problem (hiccup) as you all can (hiccup) plainly see!"
The third is inspired by this novel openness and cries out in effusion: "I have lied! I've backstabbed party members! I have stolen campaign funds!"
Finally, and only after much encouragement, the fourth politician stands up sheepishly and says: "Well ... my little weakness is gossip. I can't wait to get out of here!"
Last Monday, October 21 was my parents' 58th wedding anniversary - so, "happy anniversary Mum and Dad".
But it could almost be seen as the day of divorce between the Australian media and politicians when - for the first time in Australian history - the front page of every major newspaper in the country was blacked out to alert the public of moves to penalise and even criminalise journalism when the government sees fit.
My wake-up call to the recent increase in untrustworthiness of Australian politicians was during the marriage debate in 2016.
Regardless of the outcome, the process was a shambles and people who simply disagreed on a subject became enemies.
I woke to see politicians getting just that little too big for their boots - showing the early stubble of a communist's beard. However, I went back to sleep.
Then came exclusion zones, euthanasia and increases in police powers and I began to muse that perhaps state politicians were starting to share the enthusiasm of their federal comrades.
It's not a new idea to state that - like people with too much money - people with too much power want more power. And the more power they have, the more power they want.
As I awoke again to do my best impersonation of Chicken Little, friends and others argued that this is what the people want and so the sky can't be falling.
I argued that people may be happy now with the new laws forcing people to believe and do what their consciences tell them they shouldn't as the government takes on the role of "thought police", but the day will come when the government will come for your rights and pass laws forcing everyone to believe and do what isn't right.
I believe that day has crept significantly closer in 2019, with restrictions on journalists for simply doing their job.
I have said it before and I say it again here, almost with tears: you will not find a free country in the world that does not also have a free media, and you will not find a country in the world that is corrupt that does not also have a corrupt media.
In June, The New York Times reported on this international scandal, stating: "Even among its peers, Australia stands out. No other developed democracy holds as tight to its secrets ... and the raids are just the latest example of how far the country's conservative government will go to scare officials and reporters into submission."
The same article stated that Australia may well be the most secretive democracy in the world.
I have said it before and I say it again here, almost with tears: you will not find a free country in the world that does not also have a free media, and you will not find a country in the world that is corrupt that does not also have a corrupt media.
Thomas Jefferson, author of the US Declaration of Independence, noticed there was no liberty without information.
As Jefferson put it: "Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe."
Research in a 2003 study back up Jefferson's assertions and discovered evidence of a significant relationship between more press freedom and less corruption in a large cross-section of countries.
If the Australian press are not free, then the citizens of Australia aren't free.
Twitter: @fatherbrendanelee