Secrets of the Midwinter Ball: PETER VAN ONSELEN reveals what REALLY happens when politicians hit the cheap wine...
and how a Channel Nine legend embarrassed them all By Peter van Onselen, Political Editor for Daily Mail Australia Published: 01:28, 3 July 2024 | Updated: 01:38, 3 July 2024 e-mail View comments They say politics is showbiz for ugly people but the politicians and journalists whooping it up at tonight's Parliamentary Press Gallery Midwinter Ball might take issue with that. Bill Clinton 's chief strategist Paul Begala was fond of the saying, but more recently Tom Hanks and Hugh Grant have used it to lament the state of politics in their own countries. So what precisely is the annual Midwinter Ball in Canberra anyway? Beyond cheap wine, bad food and invariably even worse speeches by the PM and Opposition Leader, it is all in the name of charity, which is one of the event's few redeeming features.
Last year it raised more than $350,000 for various charities including Rural Aid Australia and the Ukraine Crisis Appeal. This year's charities include the Salvation Army and ACT Pet Crisis Support. I had assumed the international charitable flavour of the evening would continue this year, given the plight of Palestinians.
Perhaps the organisers were worried that embracing the cause would stir up controversy. Don't suggest giving them statehood or you might incur the wrath of the Prime Minister. Will Senator Fatima Payman be in attendance? She certainly won't be sitting o.
