Midwinter Ball: Pollies have a ball with fashion and frivolity
Politicians, business leaders and media figures gathered for the social event of the parliamentary year – but at least one found a way to turn the party into political protest | PICTURES
Big spenders competing for lunch with Anthony Albanese and his bride-to-be Jodie Haydon? Peter Dutton and David Littleproud bonding over the love of barramundi and their distrust of supermarkets?
And then there’s independent senator Lidia Thorpe, always finding a way to turn a fancy party into an incendiary political protest.
It could only be the Midwinter Ball – the social event of the parliamentary year where that unusual mix of politicians, business leaders and media figures act like they’re at the Oscars or the Met Gala instead of freezing-cold Canberra.
Celebrating 25 years of raising money for good causes with the help of auctions and big-ticket sales for people wanting to sup with the federal elite, at least 600 people filled the Great Hall of Parliament House on Wednesday for a night of high fashion and frivolity.
Senator Thorpe walked down the stairs of the main lobby of parliament wearing a dress emblazoned with the statement “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. The slogan has been criticised by Jewish leaders and the Prime Minister for signalling Israel should not exist.
After the protest was over, guests headed in to get served barramundi or lamb loin for mains.
Jim Chalmers’s wife, Laura, was a belle of the ball in light blue. But everyone was hanging out to catch a glimpse of Ms Haydon, the first fiancee in The Lodge.
Ms Haydon worked with Melbourne designer Lucy Laurita to restyle her original Midwinter Ball 2022 dress to extend the life of the garment.
Labor MP Josh Burns entered the ball with his new partner, Victorian Animal Justice Party MP Georgie Purcell.
Ms Purcell, who was in a black sleeveless dress, made global headline for taking on the Nine Network for modifying pictures of her.
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