Smoke was billowing around the front entrance of Parliament House. As MPs arrived for the start of the new Parliament, Ngunnawal elder Aunty Tina instructed them to move around the fire pit.

"Let the smoke roll over you and let it come through you and embrace it within you."

Scott Morrison and Jenny Morrison attended a smoking ceremony at Parliament House on Tuesday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

A smoking ceremony is one of the most important ancient rituals, she explained. "It is used as a cleansing ritual and to ward off bad spirits."

The cleansing requirements at Parliament House are understandably high right now. As MPs and senators meet for the first time since the recent election, the place is brimming with bruised egos, thwarted careers and hardcore animosities.