Midwinter ball 2024: Canberra’s night of nights begins as politicians gather for charity dinner

Canberra’s new hot couple made their debut at the biggest political night of the year, which also saw a number of Capitol Hill celebrities don their finest and gather for a formal dinner in aid of charity.

The Midwinter Ball is one of the few occasions when politicians put aside their differences and come together to raise money for people in need. They mingle with top business people and journalists.

On Wednesday night, the country’s leaders gathered in the Great Hall of Parliament House, braving Canberra’s notorious cold in glamorous dresses and sharp tuxedos.

The annual event marks the start of parliament’s long-awaited five-week winter recess.

This year, Josh Burns used the Midwinter Ball to promote his long-awaited relationship with Animal Justice League MP Georgie Purcell.

The Jewish Labour MP recently separated from his wife and rumours of a romance with the outspoken pro-Palestinian Purcell emerged in April.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiancée Jodie Haydon arrived just before 7.30pm and immediately started laughing and posing for photos.

Mr Albanese wore a black tuxedo and tie, while Ms Haydon upcycled her 2022 dress.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton arrived with his wife Kirilly, who wore a fluffy pink dress that matched her painted toenails

Canberra’s hot new couple Josh Burns and Animal Justice League MP Georgie Purcell debuted their relationship at the prom

Melbourne designer Lucy Laurita reimagined the dress with sustainable fashion in mind.

The designer is known for his design and manufacturing activities in Australia. This is a link with Albo’s upcoming legislation, Made in Australia.

The couple walked straight to the Chalmers to hug and then posed for more photos.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was also present with his wife Kirilly, who wore a light pink dress.

After arriving at the ball, the Prime Minister and Mrs Haydon posed for more photographs with Chancellor of the Exchequer Jim Chalmers and his wife

The political night of nights has arrived with this year’s Midwinter Ball, which saw politicians turn out from all sides, including Lidia Thorpe who arrived in a Palestine-themed dress

Lidia Thorpe arrived wearing a Palestinian dress with ‘from the river to the sea’ embroidered on the front.

Jim and Laura Chalmers arrived arm in arm with Mrs. Chalmers, dressed in a baby blue dress with rhinestones.

Jaquie Lambie, who stole the show last year, is back at it again in a stunning blue dress, her hair in a bun and a big, chunky necklace.

Halfway up the stairs she stopped and posed for photos.

Monique Ryan, MP for the Teal Party, arrived in a teal dress that perfectly matched her colours.

Green senators Larissa Walters and Dorinda Cox made their own statements in the form of props they brought to the ball.

Ms Cox appeared in a black sequined dress and carried a bag emblazoned with the words ‘Truth and Justice Now’, a reference to Aboriginal equality.

Ms Walters was spotted wearing large pink earrings, expressing her stance on abortion.

Jim Chalmers arrived arm in arm with his wife Laura, who wore a baby blue dress with rhinestones

This year, the Labor Party is waiting for the ball more than usual after the actions of first-term Senator Fatima Payman and the Prime Minister’s handling of the incident overshadowed the government’s long-awaited measures to reduce the cost of living.

Ms Payman crossed the floor to join the Greens in a motion to recognise the state of Palestine, setting in motion a chain of events that culminated in her indefinite suspension from the party room on Sunday.

Mr Albanese’s failure to make a decision on her sentence quickly led to a second week of court proceedings.

Ms Payman has received broad support for her decision outside the Labor Party. She has chosen to vote her conscience, risking her career, rather than toeing the party line.

The 29-year-old is considering her future.

Journalists have been busy covering the saga, but none of those at this year’s ball spent time on the subject, instead engaging with politicians.

ABC’s Annabel Crabb wore a short silver dress and Nine editors Tony Maguire and Luke McIlveen wore understated outfits for the occasion.

ABC journalist Annabel Crabb arrived in a sleek silver dress and black jacket

Some members have used the evening in the past to make statements, such as last year when Labor Senator Jana Stewart wore a white ball gown emblazoned with passages from the Uluru Declaration.

In 2022, GroenLinks leader Adam Bandt, together with her partner Claudia Perkins, was used as a billboard to promote her views on environmental policy, with large letters reading: ‘Gas kills, coal kills’.

That same year, independent senator Lidia Thorpe stormed down the marble steps in jeans and a T-shirt with the Aboriginal flag, repeatedly shouting “fossil fools” and flipping the middle finger at the assembled guests.

Green senators Larissa Walters and Dorinda Cox made their own statements in the form of props they brought to the ball

Mrs Cox arrived wearing a black sequined dress and carrying a bag emblazoned with the words ‘Truth and Justice Now’, a reference to Aboriginal equality.

The Midwinter Ball raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities each year, with $360,000 raised last year.

Some notable charities that have received funding in recent years include Rural Aid Australia, OzHarvest, Fearless Women, Roundabout Canberra, Pink Elephants and the Ukrainian Crisis Appeal.

Notable absentees from the 2023 event were Senator Jacinta Price and Senator Thorpe from the Coalition.