Midwinter Ball: All the guests

Less than 24 hours ago, the Coalition and the Greens teamed up to kick Labor’s lukewarm gambling ad crackdown to another committee.

So you’d think that not a single member of the Albanese government would be caught dead sitting at Canberra’s annual night of nights, the Midwinter Ball, at a table sponsored by none other than Sportstbet. But you’d be wrong!

Imagine our amusement to learn that the Labor MP for Hunter Daniel Reppacholi and his wife, Alex Reppacholi, decided to accept Sportsbet’s hospitality when fishing around for tickets to Canberra’s annual Met Gala for ugly people on Wednesday evening. Also set to sit on the table were a gaggle of staffers, and Kai Cantwell, the chief executive of the gambling lobby, Responsible Wagering Australia. Can you imagine what the talk at that table must be like? No thanks.

The media contingent was out in force early. Among the early arrivals were Chris Dore, editor-in-chief of The West Australian and Southern Cross Media’s other publishing playthings. Dorey rolled up solo. Also there for early doors was ABC chairman Kim Williams and Dr Lisa Caffery.

Peter Tonagh, chairman of Nine Entertainment (owner of this masthead), also showed up for charity, as did Beverley McGarvey, the local boss of Network 10-owner Paramount. News Corp Australia’s local boss Michael Miller, along with his former corporate affairs offsider Campbell Reid, also made the trip south for the knees-up.

It would appear that old habits die hard for Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, who arrived on Wednesday evening wearing a white gown with gold shoes, with her husband Michael Chaaya on her arm. The former communications minister was hosted by the lobby group Free TV on at this year’s ball, sitting her with the TV bosses she used to regulate.

As regular readers of this column would no doubt recall, intrigue heading into Wednesday evening focused less on some of the big names set to show face for the ball, and more with the swelling list of politicians who decided to give it a miss this year.

But the political contingent was nonetheless reliable, if a little thin. Finance Minister Katy Gallagher arrived to pose for cameras in a black dress, alongside her daughter, Evie, wearing pink, both dressed by the brand Aje.

Liberal frontbencher Melissa McIntosh arrived with her sons Coby and Byron, arm in arm. She wore a dress from a Penrith op shop.

“The shop was full of ballroom dancing gowns and ball gowns, McIntosh said. “I always want to support small businesses on our high streets.” We bet! Meanwhile, Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek arrived in a black shoulderless dress with her husband and NSW Treasury Secretary Michael Coutts-Trotter, no doubt feeling a little lighter following the release of last week’s state budget.

A flock of Liberal moderates then entered the foyer. Jane Hume was dressed in a brown dress that she was surprisingly unwilling to talk about, other than to say that she would only reveal was bought online. Don’t be shy, senator! She stood for photos with Senator Anne Ruston and shadow minister for the environment Angie Bell.

Former SBS journalist Daniela Ritorto on the arm of husband Health Minister Mark Butler gave us our first Acler dress of the evening. The Australian label has made regular appearances at recent Midwinter Balls. The rich green of the semi-sheer knit jersey dress is a nod to winter while the open toe shoes are a brave choice for Canberra in July.

Expect more Acler sprinkled among Rebecca Vallance and Carla Zampatti.

Reliably late into the ball were Treasurer Jim Chalmers, sporting black tie, alongside his wife Laura Chalmers, who was wearing an off-the-shoulder powder pink gown. They were followed by Housing Minister Clare O’Neil, who entered the foyer in an Effie Katz that she picked for a simple reason: “I liked the colour”. She said she’s most looking forward to some “off, off, off, off-the-record speeches” and said she was interested to see if Angus Taylor could live up to Sussan Ley’s “cracker of a speech” last year. She was followed by Deputy Nationals leader Darren Chester and his wife, Julie Chester.

Greens firebrand Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, meanwhile, arrived in a red lace gown, with her lobbyist husband Ben Oquist in arm. She said picked her dress because it’s a small boutique designer and an Australian brand, and that she was looking forward to “poking fun at the PM’s speech”.

Then came the teals, who, despite their ambivalence over joining the new Community Strong Australia party, bowled up to the ball as a united front. Party founders Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender needed to take a selfie before they could be asked what they were wearing. Steggall pulled her jumpsuit out of the back of her closet, we were told, and Spender was wearing her mother’s brand, Carla Zampatti.

Spender said it was “beautiful” to wear her mother’s brand and that she was very proud to do so. Meanwhile Nicolette Boele, who is yet to reveal her future with the party, was wearing an $18 black sequin dress from Vinnies in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood. Her handbag was $5 – we approve.

Later in the evening, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor arrived in the marble foyer with his wife, Louise Clegg. No doubt the Liberal Party leader had quite the day trying to brainstorm how to upstage his predecessor Sussan Ley, who brought the house down with her address to the room last year.

Then came a handful of Labor MPs: Sally Sitou stopped for photos alongside Employment Minister Amanda Rishworth, who was flanked by Sam Marles, who was there with his dad and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. They were followed soon after by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, sporting a bowtie, and his wife Jodie Haydon, who was wearing a floral gown by the Australian designer Leo Lin.

Once in the door, guests arrived to entrees of either smoked ocean trout, sunrise lime kosho kewpie, kombu and beans, or game farm duck with rosella char sui, brussels and petit cos with chickpea miso kefir.

For mains, there was olive oil poached barramundi, samphire and local mushroom, and saffron emulsion. The alternative was chicken and pencil leek ballotine, paris mash and saltbush carrots, with pancetta celoute.

For dessert, a batlow apple and date upside down cake, caramel sauce, and custard.