Greens-turned-independent senator Lidia Thorpe has set tongues wagging at Canberra's Midwinter Ball with a politically charged dress.
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The Victorian senator wore a white dress emblazoned with the contentious phrase "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" at Parliament House on Wednesday night.
She also carried a bag with "love harder" on it.
In early-June, Labor voted with the coalition in the Senate to condemn the phrase as some view it to be calling for the abolition of Israel.
The Greens last week sought to have the upper house declare the recognition of Palestinian statehood amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
Labor senator Fatima Payman crossed the floor to vote for the doomed motion with Senator Thorpe and independent senator David Pocock, leading to her suspension from Labor's parliamentary caucus.
In another fashion statement on the night, Labor frontbencher Anne Aly was spotted with "end violence against women" on her jacket following a recent spate of high-profile deaths.
Labor MP Josh Burns stepped out with Victorian state MP Georgie Purcell for their first public appearance as a couple.
Their relationship has sparked curiosity given their differing views on the Middle East conflict, with Mr Burns from the Jewish community and Ms Purcell a prominent member of state parliament's progressive crossbench.
The parliamentary press gallery's annual Midwinter Ball features politicians and company bosses from the country coming together to network, celebrate journalism and raise money for charity.
It is not uncommon for attendees to make a political statement through an outfit, with Labor senator Jana Stewart and Green senator Sarah Hanson-Young doing so over the past two years.
The prestigious Press Gallery Journalist of the Year award will also be handed out at the event.
Australian Associated Press
