Politicians in Canberra seldom agree with one another, but on Wednesday night when they posed for pictures together at the annual Midwinter Ball, it was a different story.
Guests came in the nation’s capital dressed to the nines for what was regarded as the largest social event of the year.
This is the first Midwinter Ball since 2019 due to Covid cancellations.
a reduced size Jodie Haydon and Anthony Albanese came dressed head to toe in sequins.
The Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery has been the host of the ball since its inception, when senators and representatives attempt to debunk the notion that politics is a kind of entertainment for unattractive people.
However, it often involves court controversy, and this year is no exception.
Sen. Lidia Thorpe of the Green Party, a controversial figure who did not get a ticket to the event, raced down the marble steps while wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt with an Aboriginal flag, loudly yelling “fossil idiots” and waving her middle finger at the gathering guests.
End gas and coal is written on the back of the long, white dress that her colleague Sarah Hanson-Young was wearing when she arrived.
Later, Ms. Thorpe returned, yelling, “Stop killing the earth, criminals!”
Adam Bandt, a Greens MP, and his girlfriend Claudia Perkins also made headlines.
Ms. Perkins previously had the word “coal kills” shaved into her skull; on Wednesday night, she also had the phrase “gas kills” scrawled in black and red over the majority of her otherwise white outfit.
We wanted to get this message to as many people as possible at once, she added on Wednesday night, “I believe considering we’re in a climate catastrophe it’s truly disgusting that Labor is investigating 114 new gas projects.”
While Jordon Steele-John and Larissa Waters both announced they would not attend the event, Ms. Hanson-Young and Ms. Perkins exploited their participation in eye-catching costumes to make political comments.
No of who is in charge of our government, tonight’s Midwinter Ball serves as yet another reminder of the twisted influence coal and gas have over it. Senator Steele-John said, “I will not be going.”
“It is very horrible to see MPs swan about at an event that is blatantly funded by coal and gas.”
He said on Twitter, “We see where the political elite’ interests lay when juxtaposed with the reality of the climate issue in countries like Pakistan, in places like Lismore.
Before the ceremony started, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Foreign Minister Penny Wong mingled with the gathering outside.
However, Mr. Chalmers and the others fled, leaving Ms. Wong to deal with a half-dozen photographers by herself.
Although she was a good sport, she began to feel uncomfortable with the attention.
“Oh look, poor Penny Wong at the party all by herself with no pals and a broken shoulder,” she added. “I can’t believe you’re all snapping photographs of me by myself.”
She said, “OK, can we end this now? It’s so bizarre,” after that.
Mr. Chalmers was continuously amused by the absurd situation that was taking place a metre away.
Ms. Wong reported that her shoulder was feeling considerably better after she suffered ligament injury when a surfboard slammed into it at a beach while on a family vacation in July.
There was a little commotion when, just after 8 o’clock, the Senate bells sounded and Ms. Wong and a dozen others were forced to leave the party and enter the chamber while donning sparkling ball dresses and tuxedos.
Fortunately, they were allowed to leave and return shortly after they arrived since it turned out to be a quorum and they only needed to be there for a little period of time.
Both former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce and former prime minister Scott Morrison were conspicuous by their absence.
Mr. Joyce was the target of several jokes when he was observed slinking away just before the ball started.
The beer and sparkling wine were flat and unappealingly lukewarm both inside the ball and outside in the foyer, according to several visitors.
Both Anthony Albanese and Opposition leader Peter Dutton stopped for a short picture opportunity before slicing through the mob to join the fun.
Senate President Sue Lines, Vasyl Myroshnychenko and his wife Liana, as well as a few other guests, will be seated at the VIP tables with Mr. Albanese and Ms. Haydon.
Leader of the Nationals David Littleproud and his companion Amelia Dobson are seated at the other VIP table with Mr. Dutton and his wife Kirilly.
It is said that Mr. Littleproud and Ms. Dobson attended their first formal function together when they arrived early, before practically all of his coworkers.
Ms. Dobson was incorrectly identified as “Amelia Littleproud” on the seating chart despite the fact that neither of their fingers were wearing rings.
Just a few months after divorcing his wife, Mr. Littleproud fell in love with the gorgeous bank executive.
In 2019, when Covid wasn’t around, the ball was last held in earlier times.
At that dinner, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who won’t be there today, hosted Liz Truss, a British politician who was then relatively unknown.
Ms. Truss was sworn in as the next prime minister of the UK this week.
The event, which usually brings together Australia’s top journalists, politicians, and business leaders, was postponed this year due to the Federal Election, which took place in May.
The ball has so far earned $4,453,000 for charitable causes via corporate sponsorship and an online auction.
More will follow.