Canberra will once again host the political version of the Oscars on Tuesday when Treasurer Wayne Swan hands down his sixth Federal Budget, but once all the numbers have been crunched and analysed where will the parties party?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's a question many in the political world have been asking since the preferred budget night watering hole, The Holy Grail, became a pub with no beer back in February.
Publican Ian Meldrum closed the iconic Green Square nightspot after 16-years as “the government made it too difficult and expensive to run a small business in Canberra”.
He says he will miss being apart of the high jinks and happenings of budget week, which generally involves two late nights for the local hospitality industry – the first on Tuesday and the second will follow the Coalition's reply later in the week.
This year will be the first time in 13 years Mr Meldrum won't be pulling pints and pouring house wine for more than 300 politicians, staffers and media identities until 5am.
Although he said they don't “tie them on” like they used to, the Liberals are expected to party like Paris Hilton compared to the more responsible and mature, Nicole Richie-type Labor members.
“Liberals have a much bigger party. Labor used to go hard, 10 or 12 years ago, but now they're all just stick in the muds because they're terrified of putting a foot wrong,” Mr Meldrum said.
“There's no food, eating is considered cheating to that lot. They all survive on white wine and beer. They're not exactly sophisticated in their choices.”
However, there is an air of cultured change wafting through the halls of Parliament House according to Ten's Political Correspondent Matt Moran, who has covered the budget since 2011.
“In budget lock-up there's a sense that it's like a marathon. Everyone brings in lollies and there are sandwiches, we sometimes get some Turkish pizzas. There's this whole array of food and you can judge the success of a media company by how good the spread is,” he said.
“Budget is the biggest night on the political calendar, it's a good chance to catch up with everyone who comes in from all over the country,” he said while dropping a few hints that the new drinking dens around Manuka will be a hive of after-dark activity once the lights on the hill are turned off on Tuesday.
