PETER VAN ONSELEN: Bravo, Jodie Haydon, for reading the mood and recycling her dress for the Midwinter Ball. But not everyone showed the same common sense.

The unofficial theme of the evening at the Midwinter Ball was the cost of living, but not everyone was concerned about it.

For a change, the wines that night were not so cheap. Both reds and whites cost $60 in any restaurant in downtown Sydney, in the trendy Albo area.

It wasn’t good enough for most of the businessmen present, but they were already holding their noses at being surrounded by so many politicians and journalists alike.

A major corporate sponsor of one table was heard suggesting that he would rather be forced to chair two shareholder meetings a year rather than just one if it meant being able to avoid this dance.

But as the website says, it’s a networking opportunity not to be missed.

While cost of living pressures may not be an issue for our property mogul, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who dresses in a $2,000 black tie suit and accessories to enjoy the festivities, his better half, Jodie Haydon, is aware of the struggles of ordinary Australians.

Instead of spending a lot of money on a new dress for the evening, she reused the one she had two years ago. Bravo!

I wish the Prime Minister and his cabinet were in touch with the voters they hope to win over in the next election.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers’ wife, Laura, took full advantage of the $9,000 income tax break her husband granted their family this fiscal year and spent a sizable chunk of it on her night out.

Labor MP Josh Burns finally went public at the ball about his blossoming relationship with Animal Justice League of Victoria MP Georgie Purcell.

The Jewish federal congresswoman and the activist Palestinian state congresswoman are a classic example of opposites attracting. The future Mrs. Burns (perhaps we are getting ahead of ourselves) was kind enough not to adorn her dress with slogans advocating the creation of a Palestinian state.

Former Green Party MP Lidia Thorpe was not so shy and stood out from the crowd in her eye-catching Palestinian-themed dress.

Barnaby Joyce was in the water all night, having enjoyed a dry July all year round. He was seen giving explanations throughout the night.

When it came time for the speeches, former ABC political editor Andrew Probyn told the crowd that when the public broadcaster sacked him, he received a phone call from the Prime Minister asking him what on earth the ABC was thinking.

He received no small amount of applause.

What the crowd (and perhaps Probs himself) didn’t know was that Albo, shortly afterwards, also called a senior ABC journalist, whose name we won’t reveal, to congratulate the broadcaster on sacking its political editor and to exclaim that Probyn’s problem was that he had been too tough on the Labor Party.

I guess it’s a matter of walking on both sides of the street in politics 101.

The speeches by the leaders of the main parties were not very moving, as usual. But it did not matter because, by the time they began, more than two hours after the wines were served, most of the attendees had already drunk their fill.

Most attendees felt that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton did a better job with his remarks, even though the Prime Minister’s team of 11 taxpayer-funded communications specialists produced his oral summary.

Journalists and politicians alike spent most of the night thinking about when elections might be held. The consensus is now firmly in favour of an early election, perhaps in mid-September.

Once the formalities were completed, the Prime Minister and the opposition leader ran towards the exit without a moment’s hesitation.

It was then that the dance floor opened up, with Mr. and Mrs. Burns at the helm. A spectacle not to be missed.