February 16, 2026
Do I look competent in these glasses?
Updating the Australian MP face recognition game
“Who Dat Politician?” is my game for sickos and hacks to test their face recognition of Australia’s 226 federal members and senators. The sole joy in periodically updating it is learning which MPs have succumbed to vanity and had a new official parliamentary portrait taken.
Today’s update features 62 retaken portraits since October 2022 and also adds the 59 members and senators who entered Parliament at the 2025 election or didn’t yet have a portrait.
Folks who read this blog for its fashion analysis will know this is always a good moment to learn whether the current communications advisor group think tends toward “glasses make my boss look serious and intellectual” or “no glasses make them look young and relatable.”
The “serious and intellectual” camp won this round: a cross-party group of six who were frameless in the last round donned glasses for their new portraits.
In the other camp is the Labor Senators’ group chat in which Senators Nita Green (QLD), Helen Polley (TAS) and Marielle Smith (SA) conspired to drop their glasses for their new snaps. Apparently they convinced Scott Buchholz (LNP, Wright) to do the same.
An honourable mention to Liberal senators Andrew McLachlan (SA) and Matt O’Sullivan (WA) for updating their portraits to showcase beards grown in the wilderness of the opposition backbenches.
Play the game to test which other less-than-famous faces you know, or to feel better for knowing none at all.