So, much was made of who didn't turn up to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday. But, geez, did you have a look at the menu?
The Twitterverse when into meltdown when journalist and National Press Club president Laura Tingle informed the audience that it was tradition for the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader to give their final pre-election speeches at the club.
"Prime Minister Scott Morrison becomes the first prime minister in over 50 years to not give such an address," Tingle said.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese was there - and he was made to feel welcome. By Tingle, for sure. But the menu also.
The feature dish on the menu was Albo's famous steak dinner, now made more famous.
It featured sage-roasted Red Gum Creek beef fillet, minted pea puree, warm charred corn, caramelised onion, heirloom tomato and basil salsa, red currant and port jus. The beautiful dish was created by the club's executive chef Daren Tetley.
The meal was a reference to a rather sad-looking meal Albanese made himself while in Canberra last year and then posted to Instagram, a little bit of steak with some frozen peas and corn.
"Managed to subconsciously get @ausolympicteam theme going with my socially distanced dinner in Canberra tonight at end of Parliamentary sitting week," he wrote at the time.
But the meal was roundly howled down on social media, with one wag saying it had "big single dad vibes" and another if a Go Fund Me page should be set up to feed Albanese.
We are sure the Press Club version went down a treat, with a glass or two of the local drops that were on the menu - the 2019 Mount Majura Lime Kiln Red Shiraz Touriga and 2021 Clonakilla Riesling.
