Glammed-up politicians, corporate elites and journalists have descended on Parliament House for Canberra’s night of nights to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for charity. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his fiance Jodie Haydon are among the high-profile attendees of the annual Midwinter Ball on Wednesday night with one anonymous person bidding more than $25,000 as part of the charity auction to have a meal with the pair.
Last year, Labor senator Jana Stewart used fashion to raise awareness of the Voice, with a gown embroidered with “Yes” and words from the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The ball, hosted by the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery, has this year raised more than $360,000. The total raised over the lifetime of the ball is more than $5.5 million.