By Stephen Brook
In Canberra this week, as is tradition this time of year, wealth flew in to pay its respects to power, all in the hope of gaining influence.
While Melbourne has its Cup and the Australian Open and Sydney has The Everest, major eventists in the nation’s capital must make do with Summernats, the rowdy and raucous car festival, or Wednesday night’s Parliament House Midwinter Ball.
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten arrives at the Midwinter Ball with daughter Georgette.Credit: James Brickwood
And there they all were: business leaders, prominent lobbyists, media executives and famous actors from the bigger cities converging on the Great Hall of Parliament House on Wednesday for a night of reunions and shameless networking … sorry, we mean raising money for charity.
The Midwinter Ball, hosted as always by the parliamentary press gallery, managed to raise $360,000 for worthy causes this year. Celebrating its 25th anniversary (a few were cancelled due to COVID), the ball has raised some $5 million over its lifetime.
Earlier, an online auction raised more than $52,000 as bidders fought keenly over prizes, which included dinner with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon – and a (separate) dinner with Leader of the Opposition Peter Dutton.
The theme of the ball was “love is in the air” – topical for the debut of politics’ newest couple, Victorian Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns and pro-Palestinian Animal Justice Party Victorian state MP Georgie Purcell.
Federal Labor MP Josh Burns and Victorian state MP Georgie Purcell.Credit: James Brickwood
Arm in arm with her new beau, Purcell said she felt “relief, to be honest”.
“It’s my first trip to Canberra. My school trip to Canberra in year six was cancelled,” she added.
Independent senator Lidia Thorpe also kept with the theme of the ball with a “Love Harder” handbag.
Her white skirt was emblazoned with pro-Palestinian “from the river to the sea” slogans and tinged with a red fringe.
Senator Lidia Thorpe arrives at the Midwinter Ball.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten turned proud dad as he accompanied his daughter, Georgette, also known as Gigi, to the ball proudly describing her as a “stunner”.
Gigi regaled hacks with stories about a) what a good dad Bill is and b) how he has no musical rhythm whatsoever and is, therefore, an embarrassing dad.
Keeping with the theme, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles brought his daughter Bella.
Prime Minister Rachel Griffiths (well, if you watch the TV drama Total Control) arrived from filming in Sydney, a guest of this masthead’s political editor Peter Hartcher.
Actor Rachel Griffiths and Minister for Home Affairs Clare O’Neil.Credit: James Brickwood
The pair became friends when she phoned him for insights for the show.
The aim of the ball, guests were reminded, was to raise $350,000 for selected charities, including Fitted For Work (for disadvantaged women), the Salvation Army, The Humour Foundation (for sick children), Outback Links (for rural Australians doing it tough) and, locally, ACT Pet Crisis Support.
House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick last year won a reputation as a social innovator by hosting exclusive speaker’s drinks, a cross-party social caucus greatly enjoyed by the lucky invitees.
Mindful of his soft power campaign to encourage “safe and respectful” interactions between MPs, there was an encore presentation of speaker’s drinks in Parliament House’s speaker’s courtyard.
For the non-VVIPs, plain old VIP drinks were held in the Great Hall before the start of formal proceedings. More than 640 guests attended, while 300 people who applied missed out on a ticket.
The prime minister was seen in the centre of the venue speaking with AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon. Greens leader Adam Bandt was sick, so didn’t make the ball.
Earlier, ABC chair Kim Williams bought some lunch at Aussie’s and sat outside to dine in the bright, cold day. At the ball, he was spotted sitting with the national broadcaster’s Annabel Crabb.
The winner of the night’s major journalism award, Nine’s national affairs editor Andrew Probyn, used the occasion to take aim at his former employer.
Early Childhood Education Minister Anne Aly makes a statement on violence against women.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
After Probyn was made redundant as ABC political editor last year, one of the first calls he received was from the prime minister. Albanese asked how he was, and then: “What the f--- is going on ABC?”
“I’m absolutely delighted to work with Nine. It has been a very supportive environment,” Probyn said.
Nine Entertainment executives Tory Maguire and Luke McIlveen arrived at the ball ahead of new chair Catherine West.
Golding’s view of the Midwinter Ball.Credit: Matt Golding
West had an incident-free arrival at the Nine, The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald mega bureau – in sharp contrast to her predecessor Peter Costello’s ill-fated attendance just a few short weeks ago.
While not on the official seating plan, seated at one of the Nine tables was Jennifer Robinson – the London-based lawyer of newly released WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.
CBD was eyewitness to an unfailingly polite but fascinatingly awkward social exchange in the press gallery corridor between West and her opposite, News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller.
New(ish) Seven West Media boss Jeff Howard was joined by new(ish) Seven news boss Anthony De Ceglie and wife Sarah.
Canberra has never been hotter.
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