Peta Credlin in the thick of it as pollies have a ball

There she was: James Packer’s new well-paid recruit with her husband, former Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane.

Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy at the Mid-Winter Ball in Canberra last night. Picture: Gary Ramage

There she was: James Packer’s new handsomely paid recruit Peta Credlin with her husband, former Liberal Party director Brian Loughnane.

For another year, seemingly right at the centre of the Canberra universe at the capital’s premier social night, the Mid-Winter Ball.

Peta Credlin and husband Brian Loughnane. Picture: Ray Strange.

But some things have changed. Credlin’s old boss Tony Abbott isn’t the prime minister. Now it was her boss before Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, who was seated with his wife, Lucy, on the neighbouring table to Credlin and Loughnane. Not awkward at all.

Credlin was on the Sky table with fellow Sky talking head Richard Marles and chief executive Angelo Frangopoulos — the very man Turnbull’s office lobbied to get Credlin off air. No luck there.

Pollies come out to play

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Bill Shorten and wife Chloe sat on the other head table — right across the aisle — with Greens leader Richard Di Natale and his wife, Lucy, hosted by Sky anchor David Speers. Behind the Shortens was new ABC boss Michelle Guthrie, enjoying her first press gallery ball alongside her chairman, James Spigelman.

Malcom and Lucy Turnbull. Picture: Gary Ramage.

Westpac boss Brian Hartzer shared a table with Labor Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen. No doubt they had lots to talk about after Labor’s attempt to establish a royal commission into banks.

Julie Bishop with her partner David Panton. Picture: Gary Ramage.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop was wearing a frock by local designer Rachel Gilbert and was accompanied by her partner, David Panton. The couple shared the night with the crew from Kerry Stokes’ Seven, including boss Tim Worner, senator Stephen Conroy and his former NAB PR wife, Paula Benson, and Seven legal mind and prime ministerial fundraiser Bruce McWilliam, as well as adman Harold Mitchell (now chairman of Free TV), who rival networks have at times suspected of being too close to Stokes.

Further back from the action was one of those rivals, Nine boss Hugh Marks. Also representing the media were Fairfax chief Greg Hywood and his counsel Gail Hambly, and News Corp Australasia executive chairman Michael Miller, HWT chairwoman Penny Fowler and Foxtel boss Peter Tonagh.

Also spotted were Telstra boss Andy Penn, Qantas chair Leigh Clifford and Michael Photios.