Glamour in the nation’s capital as pollies show out
Senators and staffers rubbed shoulders with MPs and journalists at Canberra’s traditional midwinter parliamentary ball on Wednesday night.
Photos: Mike Bowers/AAP
Hosted by the parliamentary press gallery in Canberra, the annual ball at Parliament House had been delayed from its regular late June spot because of the federal election.
Modelled on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner – where well-known American comedians poke fun at the powerful – Wednesday’s even was MC’d by the pair behind satirical publication The Betoota Advocate.
The theme for this year’s black-tie affair was House of Cards, the political thriller that catapulted Netflix to become the top streaming service globally.
Among the attendees was the all-women pack of teal independents, including newly elected Bradfield MP Nicolette Boele.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley. Photo: Mike Bowers
Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie sported a black tuxedo with a Jack of Spades card on her lapel, in a nod to the night’s theme.
Meanwhile, Victorian Labor MP Josh Burns graced the marble floor with his state Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell partner, who was wearing purple heels.
Greens leader Larissa Waters wore heart-shaped earrings flaunting the flag of Palestine in a powerful political statement referring to the ongoing assault on Gaza.
She also had other earrings emblazoned with the phrase “Always Was”, referring to Aboriginal sovereignty.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and fiancee Jodie Haydon. Photo: Mike Bowers
Not to be outdone, Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young clutched a green bag and an eye-catching golden octopus necklace.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese walked in hand-in-hand with fiancee Jodie Haydon, who was dressed in an elegant, floor-length red gown.
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, dressed in elegant white, was accompanied by a contingent of female Liberal MPs.
Taking a break from the fraught minefield of social cohesion, Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly spread her wings on the stairs of the Grand Hall in an ethereal orange gown.
-with AAP
