Clive Palmer was ABC’s guest at Midwinter Ball

THE ABC hosted controversial MP Clive Palmer on their table at the press gallery Midwinter Ball in Canberra last night.

ABC managing director Mark Scott greets Clive Palmer. Picture: Gary Ramage

ABC’s managing director Mark Scott and the broadcaster’s chairman James Spigelman hosted controversial MP Clive Palmer on their table at the press gallery Midwinter Ball in Canberra last night.

Mr Palmer, who has vowed to vote against many of the government’s budget measures, was invited onto the ABC’s corporate table so that Mr Scott could establish a good relationship with the Queensland MP, who already is a fixture on the ABC’s news and current affairs channels.

“Mr Palmer will hold the balance of power and we are trying to keep good relations with him,” Mr Scott told The Australian.

“This year we invited Mr Palmer who is a new presence here.

“It was a good opportunity to get to know Mr Palmer a little better.

“I don’t think it’s controversial. I don’t think it sends any message at all.”

Mr Scott is fighting to stop further funding cuts to the ABC, and a planned meeting with Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull was postponed yesterday.

Mr Palmer said the ABC was the only media outlet to invite him to the press gallery ball.

“No one else wanted me,” he said.

The second politician the ABC had on its table was the member for Perth, Melissa Parke, who introduced an internal caucus motion to change the Labor Party position on offshore processing specific to Manus island and Nauru.

The ABC is often accused of bias in its coverage on the asylum-seeker issue.

Mr Turnbull was hosted by Fairfax Media, along with Labor MP Anthony Albanese.

The Guardian’s Lenore Taylor won the Paul Lyneham award for journalist excellence.

Some of the country’s top chief executives rubbed shoulders with Australia’s highest-profile politicians as part of federal parliament’s annual night of glitter and satire.

Tony Abbott and Bill Shorten joined about 640 of their colleagues, journalists, lobbyists and business leaders inside Parliament House’s Great Hall last night at what has become Canberra’s premier social event on the political calendar.

Chief executives including Telstra’s David Thodey, News Corp Australia’s Julian Clarke and the ABC’s Mark Scott mingled with MPs and senators while comedian Gerry Connolly hosted the evening and gave his take on politics past and present.

Margie Abbott appeared in a black evening dress by Simona. The Opposition Leader’s wife, Chloe Bryce, daughter of former governor-general Quentin Bryce, wore a powder-blue dress by Lucy Laurita, a Victorian designer from Mr Shorten’s electorate.

A record donation to charity of more than $300,000 was announced, with an eBay auction fetching almost $60,000.

At $15,100, a dinner for four with the Prime Minister was the highest price paid in the final minutes of the auction, while dinner for two with Mr Shorten and his deputy Tanya Plibersek reached $3950.

A home-cooked meal by Julie Bishop and Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull was the second most popular item with 24 bids, reaching $10,600.

Dinner with Clive Palmer was bought for $5200 while dinner with the Greens attracted one bid, by the Forest Products Association, of $3000.