Federal Parliament. Oh how your absence has made the heart grow fonder for your sledging, tantrums, suggestions of corruption and rare but touching personal tributes.

Day one of parliamentary business, and the corridors of power have erupted. So what on earth happened today, and why should you care in the slightest?

Paper shuffling

Christopher Pyne attempts to grab the attention of Tony Smith by holding paper over his head. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

The Government has been rolling out a whole suite of legislation today, including a bill to reintroduce the Australian Building and Construction Commission (ABCC) and changing the Fair Work Act after the bitter CFA dispute.

But the Opposition did not want all the attention on one side of the House of Representatives, and lobbed its own parliamentary grenade in the form of a motion to create a banking royal commission.

Thrilling, I know. But there is more to it. Stay with me.

The development is, today is more tactical, being the first time Labor has had the chance to test the Coalition's majority of one vote in the House.

They brought on a vote. Yelling ensued.

Labor MP Clare O'Neill was absent today, as she has just had a baby.

Manager of Opposition Business, Tony Burke said she should have been granted a "pair" - a member of the Coalition who would abstain from the vote to even up the numbers. Leader of the House Christopher Pyne alleged they were not asked to provide a pair. Geez, guys. Can't we just play nice? It is day one, and all.

It is an old, weird parliamentary tradition that an MP covers their head if they want to grab the attention of the Speaker during a vote, when no-one has the call.

Mr Pyne and shadow treasurer Chris Bowen wanted to talk to Tony Smith.

Paper was held over heads. Yelling ensued.

Expect more of these shenanigans with increasingly frustrating frequency over the course of the 45th Parliament.

Bernardi tells Parliament Dastyari is corrupt

Sorry, this video has expired Sam Dastyari 'should have paid that amount myself'

On the parliamentary scale of 1 to "woah" of name calling, levelling an allegation of corruption ranks pretty darn high.

It was revealed a Chinese company had paid a $1617.82 debt Labor senator Sam Dastyari owed to the Commonwealth, on his behalf.

The Labor powerbroker has admitted he did the wrong thing, and will be paying the amount to charity.

It is not a great mental leap to figure out there is not much love lost between Senator Dastyari and Coalition backbencher Cory Bernardi.

So Senator Bernardi took the opportunity to stick the boot in, telling the Senate the deal had the "stench of corruption", and called on him to resign as Manager of Opposition Business and consider his future as a senator.

Golly.

With the ongoing discussion about Chinese donations to both major parties, this is unlikely to be the last we will hear of dollar bills flowing from foreign bank accounts.

Act III - QT

Brothers in Arms: Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Treasurer Scott Morrison. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

The cauldron of Question Time is the most publicised part of the day. But if the public had hoped for a more highbrow tone to the "arena of ideas and ideals" (as Speaker Tony Smith calls it), they would have been disappointed.

The Government and Opposition benches were packed to the brim, as the barney began.

Malcolm Turnbull took to his feet, seemingly full of fight despite the narrowest of election victories. He adopted his barrister pose, spectacles in hand, and gestured threateningly at Labor with renewed vigour.

"I'm going to Washington soon," new Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne boasted.

"That's the best news we've had so far," retorted Opposition Leader Bill Shorten.

"I recognise the voices, but there's been a number of seat changes," joked Speaker Tony Smith as he berated the hecklers — his the unenviable job of keeping the House in line.

Enter stage left, Treasurer Scott Morrison.

"That's the Prime Minister who just got re-elected," Mr Morrison bellowed across to Mr Shorten.

Labor MPs kept their fighting gaze at their Coalition counterparts for the duration, the canned guffawing and outrage flowing freely.

Tony Abbott sits among the back benchers during Question Time. ( ABC News: Nick Haggarty )

All the while, former prime minister Tony Abbott sits on the backbench. His gaze fixed on correspondence, rather than anything happening just metres away.

Such is the lot of the theatre of QT, often more soap opera than substance.

Pause and reflect

Sorry, this video has expired Indigenous MP Linda Burney's maiden speech

Amid the hubbub of the return to Parliament, new MPs are delivering their first speeches.

Today the first female Indigenous Member of the House of Representatives, Linda Burney donned her kangaroo skin cloak and took to her feet to speak of how much her election meant to her and her community.

A moment of reflection and respect amid the heat of modern political discourse.

So the 45th parliament will continue for next few months and years. It just goes to show, you can check out of the Canberra bubble (for 117 days) but you can never leave.