Prime Minister Tony Abbott entertained a who's who of Australian conservative columnists at Kirribilli House on Saturday night. In attendance at the evening function, which started after 6.30pm and was believed to include drinks and dinner, were a slew of News Ltd columnists who had supported the Prime Minister during the election campaign. Guests at the cosy gathering of friends included Daily Telegraph and The Australian columnists Piers Akerman, Janet Albrechtsen, Chris Kenny and Paul Kelly.Miranda Devine, who said, "you get an invitation to Kirribilli House, you don't knock it back, that's my motto" arrived about 20 minutes later than the other guests. Fairfax photographer Steve Lunam said she struggled to find a parking space but was smiling and in a chirpy mood as she made her way inside for the shindig. Paul Whittaker, editor of The Daily Telegraph, arrived in sunglasses and appeared to hide behind shrubbery on his way in, asking Lunam whether it was a "slow news night". Editor of the Australian edition of The Spectator, Tom Switzer, was also there, arriving with Kenny and Albrechtsen. The mood of the guests, most of whom arrived without partners, was generally light and jovial, although Albrechtsen made some effort to obstruct her face from photographers when she arrived. Despite speculation before the event that he had flown back from New York for the soiree, News Corp editor Col Allan did not go to the event.News Ltd columnist Andrew Bolt was absent from the gathering. He had told Fairfax on Friday he would not be attending and did not respond to questions about why he wasn't going. "I can't go anywhere from Melbourne for the moment because The Sydney Morning Herald told me that flying causes emissions and emissions cause bushfires," he joked in response to Fairfax questions. Fairfax columnist Paul Sheehan was present, but fellow Fairfax contributor Gerard Henderson, who was believed to have been invited, was not. Akerman had refused to confirm on Friday whether or not he would be attending the event, saying: "I don't talk about my private life. "I'm a working journalist. I don't talk about my relations with other people." Despite being invited, Chris Mitchell, editor-in-chief of The Australian, did not attend, due to a family function. Guests were asked to keep details of the evening strictly confidential. "We do not release details of the Prime Minister's private functions," a spokeswoman from the Prime Minister's office said. She declined to comment on whether taxpayers would foot the bill
