A suite of eBay listings tied to Canberra’s ritzy Press Gallery Midwinter Ball has been revealed, begging one sobering question: who would pay $5,000 to sink a single beer with Prime Minister Scott Morrison?
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The 2019 listings, which offer unique experiences with Australian pollies in exchange for donations to charity, include the promise of drinks with the PM.
Bid For Good, the group running the auctions, state the winning bidder and their three mates will join Morrison for Friday night bevs at The Lodge or Kirribilli House. The froths will come courtesy of Shire craft brewery Hairyman, which is apparently the PM’s favourite.
Bidding opens at five large. At time of writing, nobody has offered to pay that much to suck back a craft tin with Morrison, but there’s still a week for cashed-up punters to change their mind.
(We are also aware such an offer is not just about the beer, but come on.)
He is not the only pollie to make themselves available at the auction.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and Labor’s Deputy Leader Richard Marles will see a winning bidder for a three-course dinner in Melbourne; elsewhere, you could play a round of tennis against Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Bidding on those experiences opens at $5,000, too.
Fancy a spot of hot air ballooning with Defence Minister Linda Reynolds? $3,500. Why not.
The auction is a long-running tradition at the Midwinter Ball fundraiser, which organisers say has raised more than $4 million to date. This year’s earnings will be directed to charities including Guide Dogs Australia, Careflight, and the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Last year, Morrison even offered up his home-cooking skills with a$12,000 curry night; given his known appreciation for Sri Lankan curry and his government’s ongoing efforts to deport a young Tamil family, it makes sense he’d opt for a beer this time around.
The Midwinter Ball is slated for September 18, after the May election cooked plans to actually hold it in the middle of winter.
You can peep the eBay listing here.
