Once upon a time, perhaps when James Packer’s disastrous Las Vegas casino play was tanking, a journo trying to squeeze a word out of his mouth would have hit a permanently engaged signal. Not anymore.

Four years ago, Colin Barnett was a political has-been on the verge of retirement. Today, he’s sitting pretty as premier of the nation’s most prosperous state, Western Australia.

A group of Western Australia's most prominent business, sporting and media personalities gathered at a garden party yesterday to chat with the Queen. Strictly an invite-only affair, the stately soirée was hosted by WA Premier Colin Barnett and his wife, Lyn, at West Australian Government House.