Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to cancel the penultimate sitting week for the House of Representatives has far-reaching consequences, not least of all for Canberra’s formal party scene.

Yes, lots and lots of parties have been ruined by Turnbull’s last-minute captain’s call. Why? Because the penultimate sitting week happens to coincide with one of the busiest social periods in Canberra — several annual dinners and various Christmas parties are clustered around this time of year.

The department of Parliamentary Services (who take care of catering and events and Parliament house) told Crikey they could not confirm specific details around cancelled events. However, Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell mentioned on The Drum on Monday night that this was the busiest week of the year for annual dinners for associations, and that her calendar had been greatly freed up by cancelled events.

And the Pharmacy Guild executive director David Quilty has already emailed attendees of the guild’s annual parliamentary dinner to say it has been cancelled. Indeed, Labor Senator Sue Lines wondered aloud on Twitter whether Turnbull intended to cover the costs of any non-government organisations who had been forced to cancel events due to the cancelled week. 

Eliza Berlage, research assistant and podcast producer at The Conversation, told Crikey the impact of postponing the sitting week does not just effect official events or associations. 

“A lot of press gallery journalists are having to re-think or move around their regular media gigs, because everything is so chaotic,” Berlage said. “And there was going to be a Christmas party for the crossbench, but it’s not clear if that’s still going ahead. But it does seem like there will be caroling going ahead.”

The Conversation themselves had had to cancel the launch, intended for next Monday, of their 2017 Yearbook (a collection of the best of the year’s articles).

“We usually have an event where all the MPs can have a drink and grab a copy of the book, but obviously, now none of them are going to be around,” Berlage said. 

Have you heard of any other parties pooped by Turnbull’s pronouncement? Let us know here.