Westpac director quits as KPMG scandal expands; Canberra’s Midwinter Ball draws politicians and media
Georgie Purcell made a political statement with her upcycled dress at the Midwinter Ball on Wednesday night, turning last year’s Bec + Bridge gown into a call to action with bold gold lettering reading “DEFUND DOG RACING”. The Animal Justice Party MP for Victoria arrived arm in arm with her partner, Labor MP Josh Burns, with whom she “hard launched” their relationship at the same event in 2024.
The ball, hosted by the federal parliamentary press gallery in the Great Hall of Parliament House, is the black-tie highlight of Canberra’s political calendar. This year’s unofficial theme, promoted on the event’s website, is the “Canberra Bubble”.
Fashion on the red carpet
ABC chairman Kim Williams opted for almost floor-length tails with a hint of blue in the lining, earning a 7.5/10 rating from the blog. He was accompanied by the public broadcaster’s deputy chairperson, Dr Lisa Caffery, who wore a striking blue fur number atop a similarly coloured gown. Treasurer Jim Chalmers broke with tradition by choosing a tie rather than a bow tie, while his wife Laura chose a pastel pink dress with a circular shape at the shoulder. Attorney-General Michelle Rowland was a vision in a white floor-length gown with a cinched silhouette; her husband, Michael Chaaya, wore a black suit with a bow tie. Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh arrived with her sons, Byron and Coby, one in a black shirt and one in a white shirt, while McIntosh wore sequins and red. Seven News political editor Mark Riley was upstaged by his wife Suzanne Mostyn, who pulled off a crisp white pantsuit “with ease and grace” and embraced grey hair.
Political statements
Purcell’s dress was the first political statement of the evening, but the Midwinter Ball has a history of turning fashion into protest. In 2022, then-Greens leader Adam Bandt’s wife, Claudio Perkins, wore a dress covered in the phrase “COAL KILLS GAS KILLS”, while Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young donned a gown reading “END GAS and COAL” as part of protests against fossil fuel companies Woodside and Shell, which sponsored the event at the time. Following those protests, corporate sponsorships were dropped, reducing – but not eliminating – the chances of a spicy fashion moment. Purcell’s choice to campaign against dog racing through her upcycled garment showed the tradition is alive, even without fossil-fuel targets.
Notable absences
Several key figures will not be attending this year. Greens leader Senator Larissa Waters is reported to be snubbing the ball, or at least arriving after the appetisers, because she is scheduled to appear at a “Politics in the Pub” event hosted by the Australia Institute from 6.45pm to 7.45pm – overlapping with arrivals at Parliament House. The event is a discussion of “the case for taxing the 1%” and “the need for a fairer economy”. Last year, Waters wore earrings in support of Palestine to the ball. According to Nine Newspapers, Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Labor ministers Tony Burke, Catherine King and Pat Conroy will also be absent, as will former prime minister Tony Abbott despite being freshly sworn in as the Liberal Party’s president. Pauline Hanson is declining the invitation, though One Nation’s distaste for large sectors of the media makes the decision unsurprising.
