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Heading into Wednesday night’s Midwinter Ball in the Great Hall of Parliament House, intrigue in political media circles has been squarely focused on what One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson might have in store.
Some wondered if Hanson, riding a wave of popularity in the polls, would bring her billionaire backer, Gina Rinehart, for a debut outing at Canberra’s annual Met Gala for ugly people. Or what sort of political statement, sartorial or otherwise, the senator for Queensland might have planned.
Well, those on tenterhooks over the prospect of a rare Hanson cameo will be disappointed, because the One Nation leader is among a few MPs who have decided to give the annual knees-up a miss this year.
The ball is hosted by the Parliamentary Press Gallery and is open to full-time pass holders of Parliament House, members of the press gallery, MPs, senators, staffers and hangers-on. Tickets cost $150 for members of the press gallery and $200 for politicians and their staff.
One Nation recruit Barnaby Joyce is set to make an appearance, despite Hanson’s absence. (At least at time of writing.) But his boss isn’t the only politician with better things to do.
Among others planning to steer clear are Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who turned up sporting a Labor-red suit last year, along with her senior Labor colleagues, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Transport Minister Catherine King. Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy won’t make it either.
Also absent is Canberra couple Fiona Scott, the well-regarded chief of staff to independent senator David Pocock, and former industry minister Ed Husic, who attended last year. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party’s newly minted federal president, Tony Abbott, is another no show. Our guess is he won’t be sad to miss it.
There will be plenty of others gagging to take their places. Each year, the event draws a swarm of influentials from across business and politics, along with a string of media executives and, sometimes, even a dash of celebrity.
But let’s not forget the lobbyists. The event gives them, and other inhabitants of Canberra’s green rooms, the best of any excuse to converge on one room, press the flesh, and do some networking – all in the name of charity.
For a good cause
Staying on Canberra’s night of nights, the Midwinter Ball is a chance for people to dig deep and snap up a rare silent auction item.
Bidding is already live for a tennis session with Anthony Albanese at The Lodge, with “hospitality and generous refreshments assured” for four people, according to the prize package.
As of mid-afternoon on Monday, the top bid to ace the PM was sitting at $5000. Also on offer was a chance for six people to wine and dine with opposition leader Angus Taylor and his deputy Jane Hume at Taylor’s southern NSW residence. Hume will apparently have her “Instagram-famous cocktails” waiting for guests as they arrive.
If fitness rather than hanging out with party leaders is more your go, there is a “warm up and wind down” session for four people with Pocock at Canberra’s Floating Saunas. The wood-fired sauna rooms are located on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin and, according to the prize blurb, “if you’re a brave soul you can also take the plunge into Lake Burley Griffin to periodically cool off”. No thanks.
Charged with keeping the ball on schedule is comedian Chris Ryan. CBD is getting in early with a suggestion for next year’s MC: the newly politically activated Hughesy (aka Dave Hughes), who has been going off like a top online with all manner of views on government, tax, crime, you name it.
Entertaining the frocked-up political class will be Harlan, which a cursory Google search suggests is the runner-up on the most recent season of Australian Idol, along with Smooth Ops, which appears to be an “award-winning wedding and corporate event band”. Bring it on!
Mosman’s AI masterplan
It was only a couple of months ago we were left agog by the Victorian Department of Transport’s decision to use what could only have been AI to generate a childlike plasticine Toy Town-inspired image of Melbourne on the title page of its online portal.
But it looks like the contagion wasn’t contained at the border. How else to explain the release of Mosman Council’s gibberish-laden housing masterplan this week?
The grand reveal, as reported by the Herald on Monday, was accompanied by a selection of “computer generated” concept images. One of them depicted what we can only guess is Military Road, replete with street signs that council clearly hadn’t looked at before publication.
The top street sign pictured in the attached image read “FKIT BORK”, “[] eais”, “Oeo Wby”, while the bottom sign read “DLLIIERY ROOD”, “Telengo”, “Cne”.
Of course, councils aren’t alone in flocking to the new technology to save on costs. In fact, we’d bet Mosman ratepayers are probably pleased to see council pocketing savings where they can. But perhaps they’d be less pleased by the attention to detail.
We asked Mosman Council how it can ensure the masterplan looks anything like the concept images(s) if they were generated using AI, and why the technology was used, if it was in fact to blame. But we didn’t hear back.
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John Buckley is a CBD columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
Fiona Byrne is the CBD columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
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