Once unceremoniously dubbed “the Oscars for ugly people”, the 2025 edition of Canberra’s night of nights, the Midwinter Ball, has rolled around again.
Despite becoming more tame and professional as the years go on, the event is still the centre of the capital’s social scene every year as politicians let their hair (and occasionally, their guard) down around journalists and a smattering of celebrities for a celebration of democracy.
The theme this year for the antipodean equivalent to the White House Correspondents’ Dinner was “House of Cards”, with the night opening with the theme tune to the Netflix political thriller that aired its last episode almost a decade ago. The irony was lost on no-one that the show itself was predicated on betrayal, backstabbing, manipulation and the Machiavellian games of Washington DC (not to mention all the Kevin Spacey headlines since).
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Tickets were heard to be in high demand; to the surprise of one Labor staffer, Crikey got a ticket merely by asking nicely — which thankfully torpedoed some of the more embarrassing stunts we were prepared to pull to get ourselves in the room.
With some nervousness — given Crikey’s coverage of the ball last year involved commissioning the viral “menswear guy” to roast and rate politicians’ outfits — we squeezed into a tuxedo and headed to Parliament House.
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The night began with an impression of Paul Keating by Jonathan Biggins, who described News Corp as the “intellectual cornerstone” of the Liberal Party, musing that perhaps that is why the party performed so poorly at the last election. Another gag as to Ray Hadley’s potential interest in the still vacant Guardian Australia political editor role saw chuckles emanate from the outlet’s table, as well as a stern “no” overheard.
A Jacqui Lambie impression by Biggins’ Wharf Revue co-star Mandy Bishop got mixed receptions from the crowd. Both major party leaders addressed the crowd (more subdued than usual, courtesy of a change in alcohol service policy this year, the Nine papers report), with Albanese taking to the stage in a Hawaiian-style t-shirt adorned with a Medicare logo. Ley, whose own comic timing and willingness to self-deprecate was very warmly received, also made more than a couple of gags using a Medicare card as a prop.
In keeping with the government’s record on transparency, this year’s Midwinter Ball was conducted on the basis that leaders’ speeches were entirely off-the-record, a further tightening of rules under Albanese — his predecessor Scott Morrison allowed speeches to be filmed in 2019. Despite those rules, speeches have historically leaked, with Peter Dutton’s cracks last year at journalists he didn’t like making the press.
Crikey spoke to a number of first-time attendees who found the event disappointingly tame — perhaps with heightened expectations given the considerable media coverage the event gets every year. Speaking to more seasoned veterans of the press corps, it’s understood the big-drinking culture of Parliament House (and the issues that stem from it) has been very much cracked down on in recent years, and the result is a well-behaved, if buttoned-up, crowd.
There were still plenty of opportunities for attendees to let their hair down, with teal independent MP Kate Chaney spotted making an absolute beeline for the dance floor and putting in an admirable shift. Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek and recently punted attorney-general Mark Dreyfus were also seen spinning each other around the dance floor early in the night.
The top gong, for the Federal Press Gallery Journalist of the Year, was awarded to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s chief political correspondent Paul Sakkal, while AAP photographer Mick Tsikas won visual storyteller of the year for two images, an infrared image of the National Carillon, as well as another of independent Senator Lidia Thorpe flipping the bird as she exited the Senate chamber.
Mick Tsikas’ infrared photo of the National Carillon (Image: AAP)
Mick Tsikas’ photo of Senator Lidia Thorpe leaving the Senate chamber, November 27, 2024 (Image: AAP)
The menu heavily featured native plants and berries, with Davidson plum piccalilli falafel with avocado hummus and bunya nut, as well as a local mushroom brioche bruschetta with green olive tapenade and goats’ feta for entrees.
Mains were a charred sous vide chicken, pickled muntries, black beans and rosella sweet and sour, or a Gundagai lamb shoulder, labneh polenta and wattleseed eggplant buckwheat. Dessert featured a coconut pavlova with strawberry gum and passionfruit.
As for the fashion stakes, the viral menswear guy has once again reminded Prime Minister Albanese that a cummerbund would be a welcome addition to his outfit, as illustrated by silver fox Stephen Smith.
A simple cummerbund would have improved this outfit, as it would have prevented the shirt from peeking through below the coat’s buttoning point. Compare Albanese to Stephen Smith, who served as a member of Australia’s Parliament. https://t.co/8UF9LPaPwN pic.twitter.com/pHufk5a5Wq
— derek guy (@dieworkwear) August 27, 2025
As a result, with deep reluctance (and admitting that this correspondent also lacked a cummerbund as part of his own ensemble), we have our own best-dressed awards.
The best dressed politician, as expected and by a country mile, was Minister for Small Business Anne Aly, wearing an elaborate and detailed golden dress with what appeared to be a cape of sorts attached. Special mention goes to Sussan Ley, in a white off-the-shoulder Rebecca Vallance number, a dress also worn (in navy blue) by Laura Chalmers, Jim Chalmers’ partner.
Minister for Small Business Anne Aly (Image: AAP/Mick Tsikas)
Crikey’s best-dressed journo, however, went to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age’s economics writer Millie Muroi, who outshone Michaela Cash’s efforts at nodding to the theme (tuxedo/playing cards in pocket) by adding bejeweled playing cards by hand to a simple red dress purchased from an op shop, accompanied by playing-card earrings she’d made herself.
Millie Muroi (right) alongside colleagues Nick Newling and Brittany Busch (Image: Supplied)
In contrast to the Walkleys, where the media class routinely demonstrates its inability to dress itself, there was an exceptional standard of fashion across the room. Sidenote: when it comes to awards events, the Kennedys (infamously referred to as the “bogan Walkleys” by Michael Roddan) hands down beats out any other journalism awards in the style stakes.
